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This is an interesting thread. ALL of my cookies come out flat, and I've never been able to figure it out. I use only butter, always room temp, and I cream for 3 minutes with a handheld mixer. America's Test Kitchen FAmily Cookbok says you should no longer feel the grains of sugar in properly creamed butter, but I have never managed to make them disappear--does that sound right to you all?

My cookies TASTE great, but sometimes I wish they were a little thicker to bite into.

You're not supposed to roll out snickerdoodles. You roll the dough into balls, roll them in cinnamon sugar then bake.

@ec-washington - The butter should be good quality as in Land O Lakes and room temperature. I have tried all butter, but get a puffier cookie when using half butter and half Crisco. The recipe I use is from Betty Crocker and this recipe also calls for cream of tartar. Wishing your brother well.

I don't know about anyone else, but I've never made or seen a tall puffy snickerdoodle, even in magazine photos. They come out of the oven looking puffy, but quickly deflate into a flat, chewy circle.

If you want puffy, you'll probably need to add baking powder. My snickerdoodle recipe calls for cream of tartar and baking soda, which is what baking powder is made from. I think that adding more baking powder would throw off the recipe's chemistry of rising.

But. . .I just happen to have a recipe that's been in my collection of things that sound/look interesting that I might like to try. . .someday. But I love my flat-ish snickerdoodles just the way they are and never felt the urge to try anyone else's recipe. This one, from Gale Gand, calls for baking soda, one tablespoon (yes, tablespoon!) of baking powder, and no cream of tartar. Sounds to me like the cookies would come out really puffy--like pregnant.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/snickerdoodles-recipe/index.html

I agree with creaming the butter and sugar well so that it's light and fluffy--get as much air as you can into this mixture before incorporating other ingredients. Another thought is what size eggs are you using? Large is standard for most baking, although Ina Garten prefers extra large; going up one size may provide the extra boost you're looking for, but hopefully they wouldn't be too cakey. Also, how fresh is your cream of tartar and baking soda? That could also be affecting how your snickerdoodles bake up. Lastly--do they taste good? The taste is where it's at, and most people would gladly eat a tastie cookie rather than a pretty, yet bland cookie. Good luck, and if you modify your recipe/technique with success, PLEASE let us know. I always wonder how people make out in their endeavors.

This one is an absolute no brainer. I am a software programmer and fortunate enough to work for a company that allows me to work from home, I try my best to make a point of living in a different city every year, I pack light and go. I've gone from southern cali, mid-west to the east coast and NOTHING compares to the mexican food in San Diego! Travel just 60 miles up the coast to Los Angeles and the difference is night and day, doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same category. San Diego is on the border of Mexico, and the mexican food gets exponentially worse the farther you get from it. Ask anyone who has actually tried mexican food in mulitple cities, I will guarantee the same response, San Diego hands down. Anyone who calls them nachos instead of carne asada chips, or taquitos instead of rolled tacos can automatically be discredited in this discussion. Those of you who have lived in San Diego will know what I mean.

@czken--the b/f was a little weirded by the corn too, but it was dry roasted on the grlil and leftover a day--so not totally ideal for re-heating. I thought the crunch and sweetness would work like pineapple does on a hawaiian pizza.

i liked it and his verdict was 'part of me thinks it's great, and part of me thinks it's corn on pizza, and that's not right'

@betteirene - That recipe works great for spareribs as well. Last weekend I made a slightly modified version with pork neck bone. Pork neck bone is one of the cheapest cuts you can get, it has wonderful flavour and texture and lends itself very well to braising. It is a bit messy to eat, but it's absolutely worth it.

@betteirene - I'm in Miami, so there's guava everywhere. I use the canned guava shells because they're more reliable than the fresh and they caramelize nicely in the oven. Are you in NYC? When I lived there, I could usually find them at Key Food in the East Village and even some of the more Latin bodegas.

Wow, SqueezeBottle, what a great idea. Very cool recipe. I'll try it soon. Thanks for sharing.

I do what Simon says: The salt/sugar cure is a good thing. No matter which way I take it, even if I do a Jamaican thing or the sauerkraut thing, we always have roasted or fried apples with it.

bitchincamero, where do you shop? I haven't seen guava for sale, even at my local Filipino store, forever. Man, I wish I could find some.

A few weeks ago I made David Chang's Bo Ssam. It was delicious and easy. It's a version of what @simon is describing above.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/bo-ssam

Carnitas or Tacos al Pastor

Google for a recipe for pernil, the Cuban/Caribbean style pig. It's marinated in oregano, lime juice, garlic and other good things and then slow roasted. Divine.