Snickerdoodle Bars

I have been dying to get back into baking lately, a task that is not easy to do with a baby. I've been able to find a few quick recipes lately to make, but I need to save my bigger baking projects for when Dan can be home so someone can focus on Peyton. I was able to make these in about 15 minutes, with Peyton being awake, so that is quite the accomplishment. I thought she had fallen asleep for a nap but about a minute into making these, she was wide awake. Luckily she's mellow and enjoys letting me bake...I hope....

These are quick, easy, and don't require any fancy ingredients, except maybe the cream of tartar. I always have some, but almost never use it. I use it so rarely, that the bottle I had, expired 3 years ago. So I had to buy a whole new bottle and cream of tartar is not cheap! I was amazed that it was 5.99 for the tiny little container or 7.99 for a larger one. The price of spices and things is insane these days. This recipe whips up in minutes, bakes pretty quickly, and then you just have to wait for them to cool.

They came out perfectly moist, soft, and chewy. It's like the perfect snickerdoodle cookie, but even better. I would reduce the cinnamon-sugar topping. The original recipe stated that it sinks into the batter during cooking, so having more is better, but I had a lot of spaces where it was just piled on, so when I cut them up and tilted them, a whole bunch just poured off. I would try maybe half the amount. You can always add more if you find that's not enough, but when I ate a square I was practically inhaling the topping. Maybe try pressing it into the batter a bit before baking. Either way, these are ridiculously good!

Snickerdoodle Bars
from Averie Cooks

1/2 cup butter melted, and slightly cooled
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt (optional) (I didn't use any)

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil and grease.
2. Whisk the butter, egg, sugars and vanilla together until well combined.
3. Add the flour and cream of tartar (and salt if using), and stir to mix until just combined.
4. Spread into the baking dish and smooth the top of the batter.
5. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the batter.
6. Bake for 24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, cut and eat!