Chai milk chocolate chip cookies
Cookies are a proper hunkering down food, offered up by the plateful to bring comfort and familiarity, which I think we can all agree is something we need right now! I can never say no to a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, particularly one with crispy shattering edges and a middle so soft that your teeth just sink right in. Chewy cookies are unanimously the best sort, and these cookies are SUPER chewy so if that is your thing, keep reading…
I’ve adapted my favourite plain cookie recipe ever so slightly to make it autumn/fall appropriate, and I think you’ll like it! Masala chai tea is not only delicious, but is one of the top winter warming drinks that you’ll find in cafes (whether that be large chains and small independents!) and i’ve infused these cookies with all those lovely spices. The easiest way to do this is with a chai latte powder - I use this one by Drink Me Chai but lots of supermarkets do own brand options too. If you can’t find the powder, I also add cinnamon to the biscuits so you can simply ramp up the spices to create a similar effect.
I pair these cookies with milk chocolate chips rather than dark, as I love the rich sweetness of masala chai and find milk chocolate gives you that proper sweet flavour that is reminiscent of the drink. Try and find a milk chocolate that still has a high cocoa content, or you’ll find these a bit sickly. I like Callebuat or Green and Blacks for this.
The ingredients:
Sugar: I use a combination of caster sugar and soft light brown sugar so the dough takes on a caramel-like sweetness from the molasses in the brown sugar but also holds together well.
Flour: I also use both plain and strong plain flour, finding that the extra gluten in the strong plain gives the cookies another level of chewiness.
Spices: Cinnamon and the Chai Tea powder add lovely warmth, but you could enhance even further with a little ground ginger or nutmeg!
Butter: I used salted butter for cookies as I like the buttery, saltiness it brings to the table. You could also use unsalted, just be sure to add 1/2 tsp salt to the dough. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you begin or the dough will be very tricky to make.
Raising agents: You need raising agents (bicarbonate of soda and baking powder) to make the cookies spread out in the oven, so don’t leave them out.
Chai milk chocolate chip cookies
Makes 15 large cookies
Adapted from Twist: Creative Ideas to Reinvent Your Baking
Ingredients:
150g plain flour
100g strong plain flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
140g butter, softened
120g light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chai tea powder
125g high quality milk chocolate, chopped
Pinch of sea salt, to finish
Method:
1. In a large bowl, beat together the soft butter with both the sugars using a wooden spoon. Beat the mixture until they are well combined, but there is no need for it to be light and fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla extract and egg to the butter mixture and beat again until all the ingredients are smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. You need the raising agents to be evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough so they all get the same rise, so make sure they are well mixed.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and fold using a spatula until a stiff dough forms. Mix in the chopped chocolate until well combined.
5. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (up to 72 hours for optimum flavour and texture). Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5. Grease and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper or a silicon baking sheet.
6. Use a small or large ice-cream scoop (a teaspoon or tablespoon will work too, but won’t be as regularly shaped) to form balls of dough and place onto the trays, leaving enough space for each to spread out.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the mixture has spread out and browned around the edges. Remove from the oven - they should look undercooked in the middle - and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy!
These cookies will keep for 5 days in an airtight container but are best eaten straight away! You can freeze balls of dough and bake from frozen (they will take 15-17 minutes at the temperature above) to keep the freshly baked cookies coming all week long…
