I found this recipe in a hand-me-down issue of Better Homes and Gardens. How could you possibly go wrong with chai spice tea and molasses?!
I followed the recipe exactly the first time (stars) but just can't rationalize cut-out cookies in my schedule. Pretty? Sure! Tastes just the same? Yup.
So instead of rolling the dough, I made them like my Great-Grandma's refrigerator cookies and voila - my absolute favorite go-to cookie.
Chai Spice Cookies
Prep: 25 minutes
Chill: 3 hours-3 weeks (or freeze)
Makes: 48 2" cookies
Bake: 10 minutes
Oven: 350° F
2 spiced chai-flavor tea bags, like Stash's Chai Green... mmm
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
(or 1/4 t clove, 1/4 t allspice, 1/2 t ginger, 1 t cinnamon)
(or 1/4 t clove, 1/4 t allspice, 1/2 t ginger, 1 t cinnamon)
1-1/2 cups salted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
2 T molasses
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing (below)
In large bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice and contents of tea bags, set aside. The flour mix alone is intoxicating!
In Cuisinart (or large mixing bowl) combine remaining ingredients and beat until light and a little bit fluffy. Add to flour (I usually end up mixing with my hands until I can create a ball of dough to work with.) Divide dough in half.
Here's where I divert from the recipe. Roll each half of the dough into a long cylinder, about 2" diameter and wrap it up in parchment, then plastic wrap, and stow it in the fridge 3 hours, or a couple weeks.
When ready to bake, unroll the parchment and cut off enough to line your cookie sheet. Then cut 1/4" slices of the dough and make round cookies. Bake 10 minutes, remove to a rack to cool. Drizzle in crazy pattern with icing. They're beautiful (super yummy) and everyone marvels that I can have cookies ready at the drop of a hat!
Powdered Sugar Icing: In medium bowl combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 4 teaspoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until piping consistency.
to store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in covered airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Modified from: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/chai-spice-girls/
Updated: 12/12/10 (after making 7 consecutive batches in a Christmas baking marathon)
