Vanilla Chai Snickerdoodles

Hello to all of my friends in quarantine… or not. I have saturated my extensive hours of leisure time with at-home workouts, cooking, clarinet practice, and, of course, baking!

Snickerdoodles have been a long-time favorite of mine. From the extra-crunchy outer layer to the soft, chewy center and hints of spice, what’s not to love? Unlike a standard snickerdoodle, these cookies pack a warm, flavorful punch of chai spice with each bite. No need to go out and buy a full new spice cabinet, though! Just cut open a few chai spice tea bags and toss them in with the cookie dough. Depending on the brand, you may need to re-grind the tea bag contents. Try it with earl grey tea, cardamom tea, espresso powder, or even just as a traditional snickerdoodle.

What makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle?

I’ve often been asked, “what’s the difference between a snickerdoodle and a sugar cookie with cinnamon”? The secret lies within one ingredient: cream of tartar. Although relatively undetectable, it gives these cookies their characteristic tang and unbelievable chewiness. The combination of cream of tartar and baking soda (rather than baking powder found in many other cookie recipes) acts as the leavening agent for these pillowy-soft bites.

VANILLA CHAI SNICKERDOODLES
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Yield: 12-18 cookies

Ingredients
For the cookies:

• 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 90 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 180 g all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 chai spice tea bags, cut open and re-ground if needed

For rolling:

• 30 g granulated sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven time 350°F and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar on medium high speed using a hand mixer until light and fluffy for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes until completely combined and smooth.
4. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and tea bag spices in a bowl and whisk before adding to creamed butter-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined.
5. Combine the remaining sugar (for rolling) and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your hands, make 12-18 round dough balls (I make 18 cookies approx. 25g each) and coat them in the cinnamon sugar mixture before placing on the baking sheet 3 inches apart.
6. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes and remove from oven to cool on the baking tray. They will look underdone at first, but they sink down slightly and finish cooking out of the oven.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze for up to 4-5 months after baking.

Per cookie (out of 18): 110 calories: 14.2 g carbs; 5.3 g fat; 1.4 g protein