When we set out to develop Cusa Tea, we had a major goal in mind - retain the flavor, aroma and antioxidants (polyphenols) of premium tea. We didn't just want to make a convenient product - we wanted to make one that actually tastes good! It ended up being our biggest hurdle because existing technologies successfully made tea "instant" but did not actually yield a final cup of tea that tastes very good without a bunch of added ingredients.
We were stubborn - so stubborn, we had to discover a whole new technology for making tea instant. The result is a product that far exceeds the competition in taste.
Our Chai Tea is no exception to this rule. In fact, the comment we get the most is how excellently our Chai Tea powder retains the bold flavors of the ingredients we use to make it. There's a reason we call it "Spicy Chai" instead of just Chai. Every single one of the five spices we use comes through, and the result is a blend that will hit your nose, taste buds and back of your throat in all the right ways.
It's no wonder, then, that our Chai makes an excellent addition in recipes, adding not only notes of the spices used to make it, but also the pleasing subtle flavor of tea. In fact, it serves as a stand-alone substitute to that quintessentially fall blend of ginger, clove, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper.
Needless to say, we've had a ball crafting up recipes that use our teas, especially Chai. In fact, we had so much fun making our recent Cusa Tea Spicy Chai Cheesecake Muffins that we tried our hand at another Cusa Tea original dessert recipe: Chewy Chai Snickerdoodles!
Yield: 24-36 cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 sticks (one box) of Spicy Chai Tea
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and warm
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- cinnamon and extra sugar for sprinkling on cookies
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all 10 sticks of Chai.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the sugar, cream cheese and butter. Beat until light and fluffy, for 5-7 minutes. Beat in the oil until combined. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture, half at a time, scraping down the sides if needed and beating until just combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon or tablespoon, scoop 1-2 tablespoon-sized chunks of dough and roll each into a ball. Place each ball on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart (you can refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough until you're ready to make additional batches, but we suggest you roll them into balls first; if you freeze dough, thaw it overnight in the fridge before baking).
Using the bottom of a drinking glass, gently press the balls into flattened pieces of dough. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, turning the pan once during cook time. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
(Hint: Serve with some hot Spicy Chai Tea!)
