Zesty Lemon Snickerdoodles

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and set aside.

2. Beat 1 1/4 cups sugar, butter, and oil together until creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla.

3. Combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a separate bowl. Sift until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture in 2 batches, stirring with a wooden spoon until just combined.

4. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Shape the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls and roll them in the sugar mixture until thoroughly coated. Space cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the snickerdoodles to cool on the baking sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Cook's Notes:

After step 4, you may choose to refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes, and during the last 10 minutes of refrigeration, preheat the oven. Use a little bit of pressure when rolling the cold dough in the cinnamon-sugar to encourage proper coating. Do not flatten the cookies before baking. Add 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.

Use orange zest instead of lemon, or mix the two. I would not consider using an extract in place of the zest due to liquid imbalances.

If you want, you can use a colored sugar in the coating mixture for a festive holiday decor.