Warm, spiced sugar cookies with a buttery texture and a subtle coffee taste.
Ok, my love of chai spice is clear to everyone now, right? I mean I’m putting it in everything now! Apple pie, scones, cookies … you name it and I’ll find a way to make it chai!
My inspiration for these cookies was a Great British Baking Show episode (by the way that is the best show ever). One of the contestants used these flavors in their biscuits, and my first thought was “Damn, this guy is a genius!” Thus I set out to recreate! This recipe is my basic sugar cookie recipe with some spices and espresso powder. You could ice them with royal icing, but I opted to really let the spices and coffee shine, so I just sprinkled them with a little extra sugar before baking. This gives them a nice sugary crusted texture.
These cookies have a little espresso powder in them to give you a little coffee flavor. If you don’t like coffee, just leave it out and you’ll have Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies! If you love coffee, feel free to be bit more heavy handed! I asked some true coffee lovers and they said that the amount I used was a very subtle coffee flavor.
I cut them into circles and then cut out a star in the middle. You can cut them into whatever shapes you’d like … you could do leaves, pumpkins, and turkeys for Thanksgiving or pull out your Christmas cookie cutters a little early! If you aren’t a big fan of the molasses flavor of gingerbread cookies these would be a good substitute.
These would be great with a cup of coffee or tea after your Thanksgiving feast when everyone is sitting around talking!
Enjoy!
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and level method)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon instant espresso
- 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- dash ground black pepper
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar (plus more for dusting)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup milk
- Mix flour, baking powder, salt, espresso, and spices in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter until it is smooth.
- Add sugar gradually.
- Mix in egg yolks and vanilla and blend well.
- Add dry ingredients gradually to wet ingredients alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Form dough into two disks and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill for at least 1 hour in refrigerator or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
- Flour a clean, dry surface and a rolling pin very well.
- Roll dough out one disk at a time on a well floured surface to ⅛-1/4 inch thickness. Leave the disk you are not working with in the fridge so it stays cold.
- Cut with cookie cutters and place on greased or parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Rub some granulated sugar on top of the unbaked cookies to give the cookies a sugary crust.
- Bake for 6-9 minutes.
- Cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes and then carefully remove them to a wire rack.
Going straight for the pies this Thanksgiving? Check out my Pie Recipes!
