Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A Chai Love Affair

It's really no secret just how much I adore anything and everything Chai. Chances are you will never find my cupboards without a box of Tazo Black Chai in them, perfect for a hot cup of tea on cold days and a large pitcher of iced tea on cold ones. I have Chai scented soap in my shower right now and a chai lip balm rolling around the bottom of my purse. Chai and are close. We're serious. About as serious as one can get with a flavor. It's love I tell you.

But these cookies ... these take the cake. I have certain cookie recipes that I can only make at certain times of the year, I don't know why that is, but it's just the way I am (example: Sugar Cookies are a Christmas time treat only, while Linzers are a summer favorite made with fresh jam). These cookies, however, are always perfect, no matter the time of year. But maybe, just maybe, that has sometime to do with Chai and I's involvement. I really couldn't say.

Try them, you'll fall in love too. It's hard not to really.


Chai Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup powdered sugar
10 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon ice water

Instructions:
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and spices, combining well with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined (mixture will appear crumbly). Sprinkle dough with 1 tablespoon ice water; toss with a fork. Divide dough in half. Shape dough into 2 (6-inch-long) logs; wrap each log in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour or until very firm.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Unwrap dough logs. Carefully cut each log into 18 slices using a serrated knife. Place dough circles 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

If you're feeling frisky you can sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar over the cookies or even make a glaze and drizzle over them, but personally I think they are quite scrumptious just as they are.

4 comments:

Alyssa S. said...

I SO adore chai too :) See, I was just telling someone this morning that her recipe looked delicious (it was an ice cream cake, so it really did!) but it wasn't enough to motivate me to get off my duff and cook it. You've changed my mind. I think I might just need to head to the grocery store so I can get the stuff to make these! YUMMY!!!!

Tia Colleen said...

ok I'm drooling a little bit.

Devon said...

MMMmmm.. I love chai lattes... but I only get them once in a blue moon because of the horribleness of them on my hips and thighs. LOL. Those cookies sound scrumptious... too bad I am trying to eat healthy or I would definitely be whipping some of those up!

Renee, aka mamacooker said...

MMMMMMMMM.....Good. Thanks.