Cookie Joy | Chewy Chai Masala Snickerdoodles

These cookies brought back my cookie mojo. Thank you, A Cozy Kitchen for this delicious Chewy Chai Masala Snickerdoodles recipe.  I am a very good comfort food cook in my kitchen but I have not baked cookies in years. (Those Toll House Nestle Cookies that I bake for Mr Sweetie do not count.)  I decided to bake something for our annual cookie exchange at work. The recipe was from one of the food blogs that I have been following. (Just to be clear, this is from a different blog -- not A Cozy Kitchen.)  

I was horrified when the cookies turned out to be globs of yummy mess. I decided to bring them to my office anyway and just left them on the staff table. (For the actual cookie exchange party, I ended up bringing a plate of -- guess? -- Nestle Toll House cookies. I had no choice!) The funny part was when co-workers stopped by at my office to tell me that my failed  cookies reincarnated as semi-pancakes were amazing! Until I showed them what they were supposed to look like. They were like, "Oh, well, they still tasted amazing." (With less enthusiasm.) 

 

I was a little disheartened because I thought that maybe I can cook but maybe I am one of those people who are terrible at baking. Or maybe it was my oven! (Que horror! My oven is still fairly new!) 

I have been eyeing A Cozy Kitchen's Chewy Chai Masala Snickerdoodles. I mean, if you love chai, how could you not love these cookies, right?!

And today, with an upset tummy that made me stay home on a Sunday instead of going to church, while it is raining outside, in the middle of watching "The Princess Switch" on Netflix with the Christmas tree and fairy lights all on, I decided to bake again. This is indeed a picture of a very cozy Sunday.

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I followed everything even the part about  using a glass bottom to flatten the cookies. The only thing that I did different was I discovered that I did not have ground ginger. Luckily, I have fresh ones which I grated and used instead. And I watched my cookies like a hawk while they were baking and praying that they will not turn into a messy globby baking failure again.

Without further ado, the cookies were a success! I did not lose my cookie mojo after all. (Maybe that previous recipe was really bad! Or maybe I missed something.)  These cookies, though, were spot on.  The hint of lovely exotic on the tongue spices mixed in with sweetness but not overly was really nice. Mine did not turn out chewy but on the lighter side but they are really delicious! And I mean, delicious! This recipe is a keeper.

Thank you once again, A Cozy Kitchen.   Adrianna Adarme's blog is amazing. Check it out if you have not yet.

With full credit to A Cozy Kitchen, here is the recipe that I copied exactly from the blog:

Chewy Chai Masala Snickerdoodles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes 
Yield: 24 cookies (Mine yielded 20 cookies)

Ingredients

Snickerdoodles:
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teas[poon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sugar + Spice Coating:
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cardamom

Directions

To Make the Snickerdoodles:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, and pepper.
3. To the large bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, cream cheese, and butter. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the oil and beat until incorporated. next, add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Continue to beat until smooth. In 2 additions, add the flour mixture, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between, until just mixed.
To Make the Sugar + Spice Coating:
4. On a small plate, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces of about 2 tablespoons each (or you can use a medium cookie scoop). Using your hands, roll the dough pieces into balls. Working in batches, roll the balls in the sugar and spice mixture. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten the dough balls into 2” cookies. Sprinkle the tops evenly with some of the remaining sugar + spice mixture.
5. Bake 1 tray at a time for 11 to 12 minutes, rotating the tray after 7 minutes, or until the edges are set and just beginning to brown. Continue until all the cookies are baked. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.