Description
These Taylor Swift Chai Cookies combine the warm, aromatic spices of chai tea with a buttery, tender cookie base, topped with a smooth spiced icing. Perfectly crunchy on the edges and soft in the middle, these cookies offer a delightful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla flavors that make for an irresistible treat alongside a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter (room temperature)
- â…“ cup light-flavored olive oil
- ½ cup sugar
- â…“ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose/plain flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1 chai tea bag (opened, tea leaves used)
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp whole milk (add gradually)
- Dash of nutmeg
- Dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix fats: Beat together the room temperature butter and light olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy, ensuring a well-combined base for the dough.
- Add sugars and egg: Incorporate the sugar, powdered sugar, large egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and oil mixture. Mix thoroughly until you achieve a uniform consistency.
- Combine dry ingredients: Stir in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and the chai tea leaves from the opened tea bag into the wet mixture to form the cookie dough.
- Chill dough: Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or overnight to firm up, enhancing flavor development and making it easier to shape.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Shape cookies: Roll the chilled dough into approximately 2-inch diameter balls, placing about 8 on each greased cookie sheet, spaced to allow for spreading during baking.
- Flatten dough balls: Gently press down on each dough ball to flatten them slightly, creating an even cookie shape for uniform baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for approximately 9 minutes, or until they turn slightly golden around the edges. Be careful to avoid overbaking or burning.
- Cool cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a wire rack, allowing them to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Prepare icing: In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar with a little milk at a time along with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir until smooth, adjusting milk to achieve desired icing consistency.
- Frost cookies: Spread or drizzle the spiced icing over the cooled cookies and optionally sprinkle extra cinnamon on top for garnish.
- Set icing: Let the icing harden completely before serving or plating to ensure a good texture.
- Enjoy: For the full experience, play your favorite Taylor Swift album and savor these chai-infused cookies with a warm cup of tea.
Notes
- Using light-flavored olive oil ensures the flavor won’t overpower the chai spices.
- Chilling the dough is important to improve texture and handling.
- Be mindful not to overbake; cookies are best when slightly golden on edges but still tender inside.
- Adjust milk quantity gradually when making icing to avoid overly runny glaze.
- Cookies keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
