IMO, every Christmas cookie assortment needs a shortbread: buttery, crisp, unassuming, a great foil for the iced cutouts and other fancies that get all the attention. This simple shortbread cookie recipe is spiked with warm chai spices — cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a hit of black pepper — to bring a vibrant flavor to one of my favorite basic cookies.
You can cut these chai shortbread cookies into any shapes you want (trees or stars would be nice); I have sets of fluted square and round cookie cutters that I love for their simple elegance. Chilling the cutout shapes before baking helps them retain their perfect shape.
Be sure to stock up on fresh spices for this cookie recipe: they’ll make all the difference in flavor.
chai shortbread cookie recipe
makes about 4 dozen
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), cream together butter and brown sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt and spices; add to butter mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Divide dough in half; on a lightly floured work surface roll one dough portion out to a round about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out desired shapes; reroll scraps and repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies on a baking sheet in layers between waxed paper, cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°; line two baking sheets with parchment. Place cookies on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake 12–15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until cookies look dry but are not browned.
We always count on your Christmas cookie recipes! You’ve made us the hit of cookie-swaps more than once!
Yay, Sam! Happy baking, friend!