preheat oven: preheat your oven to 350°f (175°c) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

cream butter and sugar: in a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

add wet ingredients: add in the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined.

combine dry ingredients: in a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

mix dough: gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. do not overmix; stop as soon as the flour streaks are gone.

chill the dough (important!): cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days). this step is essential and keeps the cookies from spreading too flat.

prepare coating: in a small, shallow bowl, mix together the ½ cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

shape and roll: roll the chilled dough into small balls (about 1 inch in diameter). use a cookie scoop for uniform size. roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until well coated.

bake: place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly puffy.

cool: allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they will set up during this time) before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

enjoy: serve the cookies warm or store them in an airtight container for later.