Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles

An ongoing debate over whether to decorate for the holidays before Thanksgiving has bubbled over at The Salt and Stone house. A few are in favor, some firmly against. The conversation is ongoing, flaring up at inopportune moments like when we’re driving to practice or dinner is being made or just as the lights are turned off for the night. Alas, no one seems to be any closer to getting their way.

I’ve avoided bringing up the merits of doing a Thanksgiving morning turkey trot until tensions ease a bit. Now that I think about it, I’d say we’re about ready for Thanksgiving dinner when 22 of us gather around the table, sharing a meal and a few opinions. Maybe you can relate?

In all seriousness, Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. It's all about food, family and friends. I love the bustle of preparing the meal (even though it can be stressful and messy), I love a house full of people (even when it means lots of personalities, inevitable mess and with lots of kids around, definitely a bit of chaos).

But at the end of it, I get to sit down and look around at some of my most cherished people laughing and talking, filling their bellies with good food and any of the stress or arguments leading up to that moment melts away, at least briefly.

Over the years, I’ve shared many many Thanksgiving recipes. My tried and true method for a perfect turkey can be found in the archives on the Yakima Herald website or my personal food blog, thesaltandstone.com along with dozens of recipes for green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sausage herb stuffing, pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust and much more.

But this year, I get to be a guest versus the host and I thought it would be fun to share a few recipes perfect to bring as a guest at a Thanksgiving gathering. My goal was to come up with recipes that feel special enough to share at the holiday but easy and fuss-free enough to make the day of and especially easy enough to travel with.

Chai spiced snickerdoodle cookies are the perfect alternatives to the standard apple and pumpkin pies we all come to expect at Thanksgiving. These special desserts are a delightful spin on classic recipes and feel special enough to add to any dessert spread. The chai spice blend complements the sweet snickerdoodle, giving the cookie a lovely spicy flavor.

However you spend the upcoming holiday, I hope it includes a lot of really great food, easy conversation, a lovely nap at some point and lots of hands to help with dishes when the meal is finished.

Chai-Spiced Snickerdoodles

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

  • 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

  • 1/2 tablespoon chai spice*

  • 1/2 cup salted butter, softened

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons molasses

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Chai Spice Mix

  • 1 bag ground black tea

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Rolling Sugar

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar

  • 1 teaspoon chai spice mixture

Start by making the chai spice blend. In a small glass container with a lid, combine the spice ingredients. Rip open a black tea bag and empty it into the jar. Add the spices and sugar and use a fork to mix everything together. Set aside for later.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder nd soda, salt, cream of tarter and chai spice. Mix to combine.

In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugars until well-combined, at least two minutes. Add in the oil, followed but the egg and vanilla, mix vigorously until the batter is smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until a dough just forms. There shouldn’t be any flour streaks left, but you do not want to over-mix the dough. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the sugars and chai spice mix. Take the dough from the fridge, scoop the dough using a cookie scoop or a spoon. Roll the dough into a ball between your hands and then roll the dough into the sugar and spice mixture. Transfer the dough balls to the baking sheet, evenly spacing them about an inch apart. Use the bottom of a small juice glass to gently press down the cookie dough balls (you could also use your fingers).

Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and the tops of the cookies are dry. Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Recipe makes 20 to 24 cookies.

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