Description
Chai-spiced snickerdoodles with a classic cinnamon-sugar coating, baked to a soft, chewy center and finished with a thin vanilla bean glaze for a shiny bakery look.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, softened: 1/2 cup (113 g)
- Granulated sugar: 3/4 cup (150 g)
- Light brown sugar, packed: 1/4 cup (55 g)
- Large egg: 1
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
- Whole milk or buttermilk: 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
- All-purpose flour: 2 1/4 cups (270 g)
- Baking soda: 1/2 teaspoon
- Fine salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Chai spice blend (see below): 2 teaspoons
- Chai spice blend (mix together): 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Coating sugar: 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Coating chai spice blend: 1 1/2 teaspoons chai spice blend (use the same blend above; reduce clove if you like it milder)
- Vanilla bean glaze:
Powdered sugar: 1 cup (120 g) - Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
- Milk: 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml)
- Fine salt: a tiny pinch (about 1/16 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Make chai spice blend: In a small bowl, mix cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- Mix dough: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and 2 teaspoons chai spice blend. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy and lighter in color, about 1–2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, then mix in vanilla and milk.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until no flour pockets remain. The dough will be soft and thick.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (or until firm enough to roll).
- Prep coating: In a shallow bowl, mix 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons chai spice blend.
- Roll: Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons dough each (roughly 30 g), roll into balls, then roll each ball in the spiced sugar coating. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Chill again (optional but helpful): Refrigerate the coated balls 15 minutes while the oven heats. This helps prevent spreading.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes, until the edges look set and matte and the centers are still puffy/soft-looking.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely (about 20–30 minutes) before glazing.
- Make vanilla bean glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk. Add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle. It should flow in a ribbon but not be runny.
- Glaze: Drizzle glaze over fully cooled cookies. Let set 20–30 minutes before stacking or storing.
Notes
For the chewy texture, don’t wait for deep browning—pull at the first sign the edges are set and the centers are still soft-looking. If your kitchen is warm, a second brief chill after rolling helps the coating adhere and keeps thickness.