Spiced Chai-Ginger Cookies with Chai Icing and Candied Ginger
- emilylehrburger
- Dec 18, 2024
- 5 min read
Bite into the sweetness of holiday nostalgia and festive fun with these tea-infused cookies that are sure to secure anyone's spot on the Nice List
A cozy night by the fire sounds incomplete without gingerbread cookies and a steaming cup of tea. While the traditional spiced cookie pleases even the Grinch-iest of cookie critics. Paired with my family's longtime favorite tea and caffeine source, this dessert harmoniously pairs the merry flavors of Chai tea and ginger and will bring infinite smiles by candlelight.
Spices and butter are two of the most delicious and valuable culinary ingredients. Truly, food would be frustratingly bland, dry, colorless, and far less likely to have the cultural impact it does today without our precious aromatics. And just like common culinary crimes, a chai tea without spices, or what is generically only called "Chai", lacks the additionally added spices which allow Masala Chai to truly pop around one's tastebuds. In South Asian practices, "masala" is a general noun referring to a mix of spices or a dish prepared with a ground-spice paste. The Urdu word takes its origin from "masalah", Arabic for "ingredients". Traditional fragrant combinations include cardamom, coriander, clove, cinnamon, and cumin. To maximize the potency of these wonderful spices in our dough and ingredients, we will be brewing a milk tea, combining ground and whole spices in sachets, and directly to our brew via a 'spiced sugar'. To compliment these flavors, browned butter is the perfect addition.
The process of browning butter is similar to that of caramelizing onions. Melting the butter and allowing it to sit on a stove's burner evaporates any water content, leaving an extremely rich concoction that has broken down to simple sugar molecules, giving it a deeper, caramel-like flavor. Only the milk solids of the butter are left, which toast and adopt a sweeter and nutty taste. Think of it like tea, the longer you let the brown butter brew, the deeper the flavor and color.
As it bubbles, colors deepen and the liquid becomes deliciously fragrant. Brown butter is notorious for elevating any dish it's added to, characteristic of its layer-building, flavor-enhancing abilities. It's a simple and delicious way to impress guests or yourself with your cooking and baking expertise!
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Candied ginger is one of our favorite sweets here at '238, so it was only a matter of time before it found its dazzling way into one of our recipes!
Ingredients
Spiced Cookie Dough
- 1 C Unsalted Butter, browned and chilled
- 2 C AP flour
- 1 T ground cinnamon
- 1 t ground ginger
- 1/2 t ground allspice
- 1/2 t ground cardamom
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/ t baking soda
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1 1/4 C light brown sugar (Or white + 1 t molasses)
- 4 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 t vanilla extract
Ginger-Chai Icing
- 1 C powdered (icing) sugar
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/4 t ground ginger
- 1/8 t ground allspice
- 1/8 t ground nutmeg
- 1/4 t ground cardamom
- pinch of ground cloves
- 1 ginger tea bag, 1 chai tea bag (or any black tea)
- 1/8-1/4 cup warm, steeped milk
- *Diced candied ginger to taste for garnish
Procedure
Prep your half-browned butter. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir consistently as it melts, foams, and darkens (6-8 minutes). Aim for a rich yellow-golden color. Small particles of milk solids will begin to collect at the bottom of the pan- this is a good sign! Transfer to a dish, pop in the fridge, or by an open, cold window to resolidify.
Whisk flour, salt, baking soda, powder, and all spices in a small or medium bowl, and set aside.
Once returned to a soft solid, Use an electric or stand mixer to whip these together on medium for just a minute. While increasing the speed to medium-high, add eggs one at a time, along with vanilla. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least one hour, letting the complex flavors seep in and develop.
Preheat your oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with a reusable silicone cooking mat or parchment paper. Remember that parchment can be composted!
Use a scooper or your hands to form the dough into balls (2 T is standard but not trivial) and place on your baking sheets with a couple of inches to spare on each side so your cookies can spread freely as they bake.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, letting the cookies' edges bubble out and grow richer in color. Allow to cool before icing, and take this time to clean up and make the glaze
Heat milk in a saucepan until small bubbles start forming. Remove from heat and add teabags to infuse this icing with a more layered and developed taste. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes, then add spices and stir vigorously. Mix in powdered sugar until a slightly thick, glue-like consistency is achieved. Mince or dice your candied ginger and prepare to pack a serious punch of flavor!
Ice cookies to taste, drizzling liberally or adding a delicious dollop with a heavy hand! Add candied ginger on top (or mix into icing directly for more flavor). Share and enjoy!
Procedure
Prep your half-browned butter. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir consistently as it melts, foams, and darkens (6-8 minutes). Aim for a rich yellow-golden color. Small particles of milk solids will begin to collect at the bottom of the pan- this is a good sign! Transfer to a dish, pop in the fridge, or by an open, cold window to resolidify.
Whisk flour, salt, baking soda, powder, and all spices in a small or medium bowl, and set aside.
Once returned to a soft solid, Use an electric or stand mixer to whip these together on medium for just a minute. While increasing the speed to medium-high, add eggs one at a time, along with vanilla. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least one hour, letting the complex flavors seep in and develop.
Preheat your oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with a reusable silicone cooking mat or parchment paper. Remember that parchment can be composted!
Use a scooper or your hands to form the dough into balls (2 T is standard but not trivial) and place on your baking sheets with a couple of inches to spare on each side so your cookies can spread freely as they bake.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, letting the cookies' edges bubble out and grow richer in color. Allow to cool before icing, and take this time to clean up and make the glaze
Heat milk in a saucepan until small bubbles start forming. Remove from heat and add teabags to infuse this icing with a more layered and developed taste. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes, then add spices and stir vigorously. Mix in powdered sugar until a slightly thick, glue-like consistency is achieved. Mince or dice your candied ginger and prepare to pack a serious punch of flavor!
Ice cookies to taste, drizzling liberally or adding a delicious dollop with a heavy hand! Add candied ginger on top (or mix into icing directly for more flavor). Share and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we have! Remember that baking and cooking are all about creativity, so don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. It may take a few trials, but Einstein-impressing recipes are inside us all!
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