My Husband's Grandpa Cracked the Code to the Best-Ever Snickerdoodles

People look forward to many things during the holidays—the food, giving gifts, seeing loved ones—but one of my favorite things about Christmas is my husband's grandpa's snickerdoodle cookies.

Every Christmas for the last 12 years, my husband’s grandfather, now 95 years old, has made me snickerdoodle cookies, and they’ve become my favorite holiday treat. There’s something magical about this tradition—one that blends the sweetness of the season with the love and care that only a grandfather can bring.

These cookies are absolute perfection: soft, chewy and coated in just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar. Their buttery richness feels like a hug in cookie form!

What makes these cookies even more special is that Grandpa Kreider still insists on baking them himself and he always makes more than I can possibly eat alone—just in case I get hungry or want to share!

His dedication to keeping this tradition (and many others) alive reminds me of the importance of family and the little things that make the holidays unforgettable. Sadly, Grandpa won't be able to make the cookies this year, so I asked for the recipe. I'm ready to take on the responsibility of keeping this tradition (and these delicious cookies) going for the next generation.

When I read through the recipe I immediately saw why they're so soft—there's a surprise ingredient that makes the texture perfect.

Related: The Genius Christmas Cookie Trick We Wish We'd Known About Sooner

The Secret Ingredient For Soft, Tender Snickerdoodles

A traditional snickerdoodle recipe includes unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. The coating is made up of sugar and cinnamon.

Grandpa Kreider's recipe is a bit different, though. His recipe includes instant vanilla pudding mix. The pudding mix's combination of sugar and cornstarch helps the cookies stay tender and rise up tall in the oven. Many cooks (including professional chefs) swear by pudding mix to make light and fluffy cakes, cookies and other treats.

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How to Make Grandpa Kreider's Snickerdoodles

Other than the pudding mix, this recipe is pretty straightforward. In the recipe, Grandpa says to mix all of the ingredients together, but when I chatted with his daughter (my mother-in-law), she said that she likes to cream the butter and sugar as the first step. That's how we've written the recipe here, but feel free to try Grandpa's dump-and-mix method.

After you've mixed the butter and sugar, you beat in a couple of eggs, then the dry ingredients (flour salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, the pudding mix). The cream of tart is an essential snickerdoodle ingredient for the cookie's signature chew and slightly tangy flavor.

Grandpa breaks of nickel-size pieces of dough, rolls them in cinnamon sugar (he likes a 2 to 1 ratio of sugar to cinnamon) and bakes them at 350° for 12 minutes. They're small cookies, but are the absolute perfect bite.

Related: My Dad Cracked the Code to the Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

What's In a Name?

Another thing that's different about Grandpa's Snickerdoodle cookies is that he calls them "Schnuckle Doodles."

My husband is from Central Pennsylvania, and Dutch and German cultures heavily influence this region. "Schnuckle" is a German slang word for "sweetheart," so Grandpa's cookies translate to "Sweetheart Doodles."

I can't think of anything more perfect for a sweetheart like Grandpa!

I can't wait to make my first batch of these Schnuckle Doodles this year, and I'm hoping they taste just like Grandpa's.

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Grandpa Kreider's Schnuckle Doodles

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 2 large eggs

• 2 3/4 cups flour

• 1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix

• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Cinnamon sugar (for rolling)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter until the mixture is fluffy and lighter in color, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition.

2. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, pudding mix, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating just until incorporated.

3. Break off nickel-sized pieces of dough, roll them into balls, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Transfer the cookies to greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them a few inches apart so they don't spread into one another.

4. Bake until the tops are cracked and the bottoms are light golden, about 12 minutes.