Snickerdoodles+cream of tartar=confusion?!
Answers: can i make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar? All the recipes i've seen call for it, and I don't have any, and my preggers friend is craving snickerdoodles! are there substitutions? Can i make them without? How will they turn out and what the heck does cream of tartar do anyhoo?
As another answerer pointed out, there are recipes that use baking powder instead of baking soda + cream-of-tarter, but they aren't as good. The normal ratio to make baking powder from baking soda + cream-of-tarter is, 4 parts soda to 5 parts tarter. This mixture is, measure for measure, equal to commercial baking powder. In the best of the snickerdoodle recipes I have tried, the ratio is 4 parts soda to 8-10 parts tarter. This doesn't make the cookie raise more but the extra tarter contributes to the mouth-feel and taste of the cookie. I have even tried substituting commercial baking powder + cream-of-tarter, but again, they just do not have the same taste and mouth-feel. Good snickerdoodles are somewhat crispy to the tooth but soften quickly w/ saliva and there is a hint of the tartaric acid. When the holiday season arrives I usually make several different kinds of cookies as gifts. My sugar cookie recipe uses 3/4 tsp. baking powder. I substitute my home made (baking soda + cream-of-tarter) baking powder plus I add 1/2 tsp. tarter. It makes a difference that gets rave reviews.
Cream-of-tarter is a by-product of wine making. Tartrate crystals collect on the wine cask as the wine is aged. These crystals are collected, cleaned and packaged. Cream-of-tarter is an acid. When it comes in contact with baking soda and water the reaction produces CO2 gas, which in turn produces the leavening action when baking. Heat intensifies the reaction. When fresh grape juice is heated tartrate crystals will form and it can be filtered w/ an ordinary sieve. I suppose that is how most commercial cream-of-tarter is made.
There are recipes out there, I made them once, and will never do that again. They just really didnt taste like a snickerdoodle, and they just werent real good. The cream of tartar give them that rich creamy flavor.
there really isnt a GOOD substitute for it, if you're baking with baking soda and cream of tartar, you can omit both and use baking powder instead. the soda and the tartar together work as a double baking powder, so it can be substituted if necessary. One teaspoon baking powder is equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar to give you a sort of conversion chart...quite honestly, it's easier just to run to the supermarket, and pick up some tartar...because even if you do successfully substitute it, the cookies will taste slightly off, and the texture will be different
Cream of tartar helps the cookies rise. They probably will be really flat if you don't use it.Be brave and make them then you will know if it was worth the effort or not.