Description
Delight in the warm, spiced flavors of Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies, combining fragrant chai spices with rich dark chocolate chunks for a unique twist on a classic treat. These cookies are perfectly chewy with a hint of heat from freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of salt on top to balance the sweetness.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Mix
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Mix
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 ounces dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Mix: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground allspice, freshly ground black pepper, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Using a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the melted, slightly cooled butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and beat once more.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixes: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in one batch. You might need to lift the mixer’s head to add it all at once. Cover the mixer with a clean kitchen towel and mix on low speed until the flour is mostly incorporated. Increase the speed until the dough is fully combined with no visible flour flecks. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks gently and transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out dough balls. If the dough is very cold and firm, press some dough into the scoop to compact it, then release. Arrange 6 to 7 dough balls per baking sheet, spacing them apart to allow spreading during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or up to 10 minutes if the dough is very cold. The cookies should be light to medium golden brown. Upon removal, sprinkle each cookie with a few grains of salt to enhance flavor.
- Repeat Baking: Continue scooping and baking the remaining dough balls in batches until all cookies are baked.
- Freeze Cookie Dough (Optional): For freezing, place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze for about 20 minutes until very firm. Then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe plastic bag for storage up to 3 months. Bake from frozen when ready to enjoy.
Notes
- You can prepare the cookie dough up to 2 days in advance and keep it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
- Freezing cookie dough balls makes for convenient baking later; freeze for 20 minutes on a sheet then store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- Bake frozen cookie dough directly without thawing, adjusting baking time accordingly (may need a couple extra minutes).
- Sprinkling a bit of salt on the cookies right after baking enhances the complex chai and chocolate flavors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 289 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 129 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
