Confession: While I usually sift the confectioners sugar, this time I forgot. I didn't notice any difference in the end result.
Masala Chai Sable Cookies
approx 50-60 2 inch cookies (depending on thickness)
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
Tea leaves from 6 decaffeinated Earl Grey teabags
A couple of pinches - 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Few pinches of ground star anise
Add the butter into a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl and beat on a medium speed with a paddle attachment until smooth. Turn to low speed and add the sugars and continue beating for about a minute longer. Throughout the process, scrape the edges of the mixer bowl once in a while. Add the egg yolks and beat until blended.
Add the flour, tea leaves, salt, cardamon, ginger, cloves and star anise into a separate medium bowl and mix.
Add the flour mix into the creamed butter in three to four batches and keep beating on low for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to mix further if flour is not entirely incorporated. Process the dough as little as possible.
For an easy slice and bake method, you can shape the dough into logs as instructed here or...
Divide the dough into 4 parts and form each into a round disc. Wrap each disc tightly with a generous piece of saran wrap and keep refrigerated for at least 1 hour or until the butter in the dough somewhat re-solidifies but the dough isn't too hard. You can keep this dough refrigerated for up to two days. If you do, let it thaw for a few minutes before rolling out.
Roll out each disc into an 1/8 or 2/8 inch thick disc while still wrapped in the saran wrap. If the dough cracks or breaks at first, re-form it into a disc while applying pressure with your hands while it is still in the saran wrap. Proceed to roll out with the rolling pin again. If it's too tight and the dough needs space to expand while rolling, loosen up the Saran wrap as you roll. Turn the dough to roll it on the flipped side to achieve a smooth consistency on both sides. This technique is super easy and the dough will roll out beautifully as you see in the photo below.
Unwrap the top of the rolled out cookie dough from the saran wrap and form the cookies with a desired cookie cutter shape. Peel off the cookies gently from the plastic wrap and place one inch apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Refrigerate for an hour or longer before baking. Make more cookies from the dough scraps. If scraps get too soft refrigerate wrapped in saran wrap before rolling.
Preheat oven to 350F*. Bake the 1/8 inch cookies for 8-10 minutes and the 2/8 inch ones for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are just slightly golden around the edges. Let cookies cool down and come to room temperature. The cookies will firm up as they cool down. Do not attempt to remove cookies from the cookie sheet while they are still hot out of the oven. They will be too soft when hot.
Store in an air tight container and keep in a cool corner on the counter for at least five days.
The masala chai sable cookies can be pre-baked and frozen in a Tupperware. Separate each layer of cookies with parchment paper. They can be kept frozen up to a month. Let the cookies thaw for a few minutes on the counter before serving.
*Oven temperatures may vary.
Wishing you all delicious holidays!
Other Holiday Cookies:
Meyer Lemon Butter Cookie Sandwiches with Jam
Lemon Poppy Seed Sable Cookies
Polenta Citrus Sable Cookie Snaps
Nankhatai - An Indian Butter Cookie
Flourless Fudgy Chocolate Coconut Cookies
Rich Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Shulie, I LOVE these... LOVE! Thank you for sharing... and happy holidays too xo
ReplyDeletelovely!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cookies and wonderful flavor!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
These cookies look absolutely perfect! Love the flavors!
ReplyDeletethese cookies sound wonderful...I'm a huge chai fan.
ReplyDeleteThose are some seriously beautiful cookies.
ReplyDeleteSO, so, sooooo gorgeous!! I don't bake enough cookies, either, but when I do.... I eat 'em all! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have a cup of tea every afternoon too, and it really is better with a cookie. The spices in these sound wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThese look perfect! And the flavor... chai always makes me weak in the knees.
ReplyDeleteSables! I've been wanting to try those for a really long time and since I'm one of those people who likes pumpkin pie spiced everything, I know I'd love these!
ReplyDeleteYou should really bake cookies more often - these look fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea to infuse cookies with the flavors of chai - these sound delightful.
ReplyDeleteI love everything about these, they sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of rolling them out in plastic wrap - my grandma always used waxed paper. And, I LOVE the flavors in these cookies - can't wait to try them!
ReplyDeleteLove these cookies and the flavors you've used in them! And I agree - I don't bake cookies nearly as often as I should.
ReplyDeleteI've never used the plastic wrap method of rolling out cookies because I always feared there would be too many creases in the rolled dough. I guess not though because yours look perfect. I adore all those little spice and tea flecks seen throughout each and every cookie. Quite lovely indeed!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting cookie! I bet they would be delicious with tea. I miss working at home, when I would steep a pot of tea in the afternoon during my General Hospital break ... sigh, the good ol' days.
ReplyDeleteThese cookies look amazing! Packed full of spice and perfectly crisp.
ReplyDeleteI love love LOVE the flavors here!!
ReplyDeleteI do the saran thing, too! I'm not that good otherwise. These cookies look like they deserve star treatment!
ReplyDeleteThis is very nice and beautiful cookies, I really like the color and look so natural. Of course, with all spices added, it definitely smells good. And Christmas is coming very soon, baking it and cut into cute shapes, I am sure it will be really popular during family gatherings. :)
ReplyDelete