Cinnamon Crisps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, with rack in middle position

2 cups melted butter (4 sticks)

2 cups brown sugar (loosely packed)

1 cup white sugar (granulated)

2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar (critical!)

1 teaspoon salt

4 ¼ cups white flour (not sifted)

Dough-ball rolling mixture:

½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Melt the butter. Add the sugars and mix. Let the mixture cool to room temperature while you beat the eggs, and then stir them in. add the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well. Add flour in increments, mixing after each addition.

Use your hands to roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. (If dough is too sticky, chill for an hour before rolling.)

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl to make the dough-ball rolling mixture. (mixing it with a fork works nicely.) Roll the dough balls in the mixture, then place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten the dough balls with a greased or floured spatula.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. (They should have a touch of gold around the edges.) Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to finish cooling

Yield: Approximately 8 dozen, depending on cookie size.