Connecticut Snickerdoodle Pie

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch pie plate (glass or ceramic)
• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Rolling pin
• •Pastry cutter or two forks
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pie dough

   Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, pressing and smearing until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. These larger pieces create flaky layers. Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until the dough just holds together when pressed. It should look shaggy, not smooth.

   Keep everything cold. If your hands run warm, freeze the butter cubes for fifteen minutes before starting.
2. 2

   Chill and roll the crust

   Gather the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Cold dough rolls easier and shrinks less during baking. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a twelve-inch circle, rotating and flipping to prevent sticking. Transfer to a nine-inch pie plate, pressing gently into corners without stretching. Trim edges to a one-inch overhang, fold under, and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

3. 3

   Prepare the cinnamon-sugar topping

   Stir together the three tablespoons sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. The ratio here is aggressive by design. This is snickerdoodle territory, and timidity with cinnamon has no place. Set aside.

4. 4

   Cream the butter and sugar

   Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed for four to five minutes until pale, fluffy, and visibly increased in volume. Scrape down the bowl twice during this process. This step aerates the filling and builds the structure that creates those signature snickerdoodle crackles.

   Properly creamed butter looks almost white and holds its shape in stiff peaks. If it still looks yellow and dense, keep beating.
5. 5

   Add eggs and flavorings

   Reduce mixer speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Add the egg yolk and beat until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled after the first egg. This is normal. It will come together. Add the vanilla and beat briefly to combine.

6. 6

   Incorporate dry ingredients

   In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add this mixture to the butter-egg base and mix just until no dry streaks remain. The cream of tartar is the secret to snickerdoodle flavor, that subtle tang that distinguishes these cookies from ordinary sugar cookies. Do not skip it. There is no adequate substitute.

7. 7

   Fill and top the pie

   Pour the filling into the chilled pie crust, spreading evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. The filling should come nearly to the crimped edge but not overflow. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the entire surface. Be generous at the edges where the filling meets the crust.

8. 8

   Bake until crackled and set

   Bake on the center rack for 50 to 55 minutes. The pie is done when the top develops deep cracks, the edges appear set and slightly puffed, and the center still has a gentle wobble when you shake the pan. The surface should be a burnished golden-brown, the cinnamon-sugar topping looking dry and crackled. If the crust edges brown too quickly, shield them with foil after thirty minutes.

   The wobble should be like barely set custard, not liquid. If the center still sloshes, give it five more minutes.
9. 9

   Cool completely before slicing

   This is the hardest step. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool completely, at least three hours at room temperature. The filling needs this time to set into that chewy, cookie-like texture that makes this pie worth making. Cut too soon and you'll have delicious soup. The pie can also be refrigerated after cooling, which firms it further for cleaner slices.

Chef Tips

• •The cream of tartar is non-negotiable. It provides the characteristic snickerdoodle tang that separates this from a generic sugar cookie pie. Buy it fresh if yours has been in the cabinet since the Reagan administration.
• •For make-ahead convenience, the pie dough can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. The fully baked pie keeps at room temperature, covered, for three days, or refrigerated for a week.
• •Serve slices warm with vanilla ice cream for the full Connecticut church supper experience, or at room temperature with strong coffee for breakfast. Nobody is judging.
• •The cinnamon you use matters. Fresh, fragrant cinnamon from a reputable spice company will outperform the dusty tin your grandmother left behind. Smell it before using. If it smells like nothing, it will taste like nothing.

Advance Preparation

• •The pie dough can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for three months.
• •The finished pie holds beautifully at room temperature for three days, loosely covered. The chewy texture actually improves on day two.
• •Refrigerating the finished pie firms the filling for cleaner slices but slightly diminishes the chewy texture. Bring to room temperature for thirty minutes before serving if you've chilled it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)