If you had walked into my kitchen any time in the last 48 hours, you might’ve thought I was prepping for a NASA launch. Cables draped over chairs, lights clipped to every surface, microphones getting tested while I mumble, “Can you hear me now?”—and somewhere in the middle of it all, me, frantically waving in front of a camera, looking both excited and vaguely nauseated.

Yep. My first LIVE baking session is next week. 😳 And let me tell you, the pressure of trying to sound like a confident pastry professional while also figuring out why the second camera is upside down? Not for the faint of heart.

Thank goodness for in-house tech support—aka my husband. This very patient software engineer has, in the space of two days, become my impromptu AV department, lighting director, and occasional therapist. I owe him big time… and naturally, I paid him in cookies. 🍪

Cinnamon-Sugar = Warm Tummy Hugs 🍪

Amid all the chaos, one thing kept me grounded: snickerdoodles.
Not just because they’re delicious (which they are), but because the trial-and-error rollercoaster I’ve been riding this week reminded me a lot of the process I went through perfecting this very recipe.

When developing this recipe, I wasn’t just chasing soft and cakey—I wanted something toothy too, with that just-right chewy bite and beautifully firm, crisp edges. Something nostalgic but elevated. A cookie with a backbone and a soul.

It took a lot of tweaks (and more than a few frustration-fueled bakes), but I finally cracked it. And the not-so-secret ingredient? Sour cream. It brings just enough moisture and tang to keep the crumb soft, the texture balanced, and the flavor complex, without tipping the cookie into soggy territory.

🍪 A Nerdy Note: Why I Mix My Leaveners Into the Sugar First

Here’s a little professional pastry trick I swear by: instead of whisking the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt into the flour, I mix them directly into the sugar before creaming with the butter. Why?

• More even distribution – Leavening agents are used in tiny amounts. Mixing them with the sugar ensures they’re evenly scattered into the dough during creaming, rather than clumping in the flour.

• Better salt integration – Salt doesn’t dissolve well in flour, but it does dissolve into butter. By blending it with the sugar first, you help the salt permeate the butter, creating a fuller, rounder flavor.

Little adjustments like this are what elevate a cookie from good to "OMG did you make these?!"

📝 Better Than Classic Snickerdoodles

Yield: About 18 cookies (50g each)

Ingredients

Dough:

• 380g all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cream of tartar

• ½ tsp fine sea salt

• 227g unsalted butter, softened

• 225g granulated sugar

• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 50g sour cream

Cinnamon-Sugar Dredge:

• 50g granulated sugar

• 25g dark brown sugar

• 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

👩‍🍳 Method

1. Make the dredge: In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside for rolling.

2. Mix sugar + leaveners: In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir to distribute evenly.

3. Cream the butter: Add softened butter to the sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy—about 3–4 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.

4. Add wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, yolk, vanilla, and sour cream until homogeneous. Slowly beat into the butter mixture until smooth, scraping between additions.

5. Add the flour: Mix in the flour in two additions on low speed, just until no dry spots remain. Don’t overmix!

6. Chill: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 48 hours). This firms the dough and enhances flavor.

7. Portion + roll: Scoop 50g dough balls and roll generously in the cinnamon-sugar dredge until completely coated.

8. Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) (375º if baking above 3,000 ft in altitude). Arrange cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set.

9. Smack the tray: The second you pull them out, give the baking tray a firm smack on the counter. This collapses the centers just enough to create those iconic crackly tops. ✨

10. Cool + enjoy: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy warm or cooled!

From Cookies to Confidence 💪💛

So while I’m still figuring out which camera angle doesn’t make me look like I’ve been stuck in a flour storm, at least I know my cookies are camera-ready. And delicious. And dependable.

That’s the thing about baking—and honestly, about life and livestreams too. It’s not about perfection. It’s about process, patience, and figuring it out one messy moment at a time.

And if you’ve got cookies at the end of it? Even better.

💬 Tell me—what recipe has tested your patience lately but turned into something amazing? Drop it in the comments or tag me if you bake these snickerdoodles! I’d love to see your version.