Chai-Spiced Tea Cookies
With ginger icing
Chai (meaning “tea” in India) is a blend of usually black loose-leaf tea, milk, and a variety of spices, typically including cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
Makes about 31/2 dozen cookies
Total time: about 11/2 hours + chilling
WHISK:
2
2
11/2
1/2
1/8
CREAM:
2
3/4
1
1 sticks unsalted butter
(16 Tbsp.), softened cup granulated sugar egg tsp. vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
WHISK:
2
2 cups all-purpose flour Darjeeling tea bags, tea removed and finely ground tsp. baking powder tsp. each ground ginger and cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and table salt tsp. each ground cloves and cardamom cups powdered sugar, sifted Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2–3 Tbsp. whole milk
1 tsp. ground ginger
Pinch of table salt Crystallized ginger, minced
Whisk together flour, tea, baking powder, 1/2 tsp. ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. salt, cloves, and cardamom.
Cream 2 sticks butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined, then beat in flour mixture just until blended. Cover dough; chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment.
Scoop dough with a #60 scoop
(2 tsp.); roll into balls and arrange on prepared baking sheets, spaced
2 inches apart. Lightly press balls with the bottom of a glass coated with nonstick spray.
Bake cookies until edges are set, rotating baking sheets halfway through, about 12 minutes; cool on baking sheets 3 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Combine powdered sugar,
2 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. milk,
1 tsp. ginger, and pinch of salt until smooth, adding 1 Tbsp. more milk as needed.
Spread icing on cookie tops; top with crystallized ginger. Allow icing to harden before serving.
Per cookie: 101cal; 5g total fat (3g sat); 18mg chol;
31mg sodium; 14g carb (0g fiber, 9g total sugars);
1g protein