My delicious Chai Spiced Cookies are always in high demand by both kids & adults alike. I had made this recipe a few years back for cultural day in my son’s school & they’ve been a big hit ever since. I’m sure your family & friends will enjoy these cookies as much as mine do. They’re perfect for tea time or for snacking anytime of the day ☺.

In India, chai is simply the Hindi word for tea, but in Marathi – tea is known as “chaha”. Thus, Indian chai is black tea (usually from Darjeeling or Assam) with the addition of milk and sugar. The term masala chai refers to spiced tea. The spices may vary but generally cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, black pepper and ginger are the most common. Other frequently used spices are freshly grated nutmeg, star anise, fennel seeds… So feel free to use your favorite “chai spices” or various combinations of chai spices in these cookies.

Chai masala can easily be found in any Indian grocery store or market. This recipe yields about 20 or so cookies, so feel free to double the batch if needed.


CHAI SPICED COOKIES

Ingredients:

1¾ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp chai masala
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)
2 tbsp whole milk

¼ cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp ground cinnamon + ½ tbsp chai masala for coating

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium size mixing bowl, sift together the flour with the baking powder, salt, chai masala & ground cinnamon. Set aside until needed.

Using hand held electric beaters or a kitchen stand mixer, cream the butter with both the sugars until smooth. Next, add in the egg along with the vanilla & continue to mix for 2-3 minutes. Then gradually add in the sifted flour mixture. Keeping mixing the dough until it comes together & then add in the milk. Keep mixing, but if the dough is still crumbly – just add 1 tbsp of milk at a time until the dough comes together. Gather the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap & refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ¼ cup sugar with the tbsp of ground cinnamon & ½ tbsp of chai masala together. Mix well & set aside until needed.

When you are ready to make the cookies, using your palms – just roll the dough into round balls about 1” in size. Then roll them in the sugar-cinnamon- chai masala mixture until they are evenly coated on all sides. Then lightly press down on the dough balls to flatten them into small round discs. Next, simply place the cookie rounds on a lightly buttered baking sheet, about 1½” apart & bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool completely before eating.



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