Chai Shortbread Cookies are tender, crisp, buttery, melt in your mouth delicious, and are especially wonderful for Christmas and holiday baking!
Its an easy Shortbread Cookies recipe! It’s a deliciously buttery, lightly sweet, nicely crisp, yet perfectly tender chai flavored cookie.
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING CHAI SHORTBREAD COOKIES:
- Unsalted butter: Salted butter can be used too (cookies will just be lightly saltier), just omit the salt in the recipe.
- Sherpa Honey Vanilla Chai: Chai Concentrate with honey vanilla flavor.
- Granulated sugar: If you want cookies a little sweeter you can increase sugar to 2/3 cup.
- Salt: Just a pinch of table salt to balance the flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla for the best shortbread.
- All-purpose flour: I like to use unbleached all purpose flour.
HOW TO MAKE CHAI SHORTBREAD COOKIES:
To make chai shortbread cookies, simply…
- Add butter, salt and sugar to bowl of stand mixer and blend on medium-low speed until combined.
- Add Sherpa chai and blend mixture until well combined (butter should be evenly blended in), scrape down bowl as needed.
- Add in flour and mix until combined.
- On a floured surface, roll dough out 1/3-inch thick. Cut into squares or rectangles.
- Transfer to ungreased baking sheets spacing 1-inch apart. You can dust of excess flour from scrapes, compress together and re-roll.
- Transfer baking sheets to refrigerator and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake one sheet at a time in center of oven until cookies are just set about 13 – 16 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with second baking sheet.
- If opting to use optional chocolate finish: Place chocolate in microwave safe dish. Melt in 20 second increments on 50% power, stirring between intervals until melted and smooth (or melt in a double boiler on the stovetop).
- Dip cooled cookies about halfway into chocolate, lift cookie then run bottom side of cookie along inside bowl edge to remove excess chocolate. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets and sprinkle chopped walnuts then refrigerate to set.
TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT COOKIES:
Here are a few tips for perfect cookies:
- Using cold butter in the recipe as it makes dough easier to work with and cookies spread less.
- If your cookies are spreading uneven on edges you can remove from oven and use a butter knife to scoot spread portion back in and even out their edges.
- Bake one sheet at a time for even cooking, keep other sheet chilled (again so cookies spread less).
- If you want them a little sweeter you can use 2/3 cup sugar.
- If you are at high altitude or if your cookies are normally prone to spreading then add and extra 2 – 3 Tbsp flour.
- Work to roll dough an even thickness for even baking.
- Bake on ungreased cookie sheets so cookies spread less (don’t worry with all the butter in them they don’t stick).
OTHER ADD-INS TO SHORTBREAD COOKIES:
While shortbread cookies are the classic, here are a few other favorite add-ins:
- Try with other extracts such as almond, coconut, maple, coffee, rum extract etc.
- Add citrus zest. Lemon or orange is delicious.
- Mix in finely chopped nuts.
- Add mini chocolate chips.
- Season with spices such as cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
- Decorate with royal icing.
- Prick the cookies with a fork for a classic shortbread appearance.
- Dip in white chocolate or milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. Finish with festive sprinkles.
HOW TO STORE THESE COOKIES:
Baked Cookies: Store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.
Cookie Dough: Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months.
Craving More Cookies? Try These:
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Chai Shortbread Cookies
Chai Shortbread Cookies are tender, crisp, buttery, melt in your mouth delicious, and are especially wonderful for Christmas and holiday baking!
Ingredients
- 1 cup 226g unsalted butter cold and diced into tiny cubes
- 1/2 cup 100g granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Sherpa Honey Vanilla Chai
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups 248g unbleached all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Add butter, salt and sugar to bowl of stand mixer and blend on medium-low speed until combined.
- Add sherpa honey vanilla chai and blend mixture until well combined (butter should be evenly blended in), scrape down bowl as needed.
- Add in flour and mix until combined.
- On a floured surface, roll dough out 1/3-inch thick. Cut into squares or rectangles.
- Transfer to ungreased baking sheets spacing 1-inch apart. You can dust of excess flour from scrapes, compress together and re-roll.
- Transfer baking sheets to refrigerator and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake one sheet at a time in center of oven until cookies are just set about 13 – 16 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with second baking sheet.
- If opting to use optional chocolate finish: Place chocolate in microwave safe dish. Melt in 20 second increments on 50% power, stirring between intervals until melted and smooth (or melt in a double boiler on the stovetop).
- Dip cooled cookies about halfway into chocolate, lift cookie then run bottom side of cookie along inside bowl edge to remove excess chocolate. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets and sprinkle chopped walnuts then refrigerate to set.
Notes
- Using cold butter in the recipe as it makes dough easier to work with and cookies spread less.
- If your cookies are spreading uneven on edges you can remove from oven and use a butter knife to scoot spread portion back in and even out their edges.
- Bake one sheet at a time for even cooking, keep other sheet chilled (again so cookies spread less).
- If you want them a little sweeter you can use 2/3 cup sugar.
- If you are at high altitude or if your cookies are normally prone to spreading then add and extra 2 – 3 Tbsp flour.
- Work to roll dough an even thickness for even baking.
- Bake on ungreased cookie sheets so cookies spread less (don’t worry with all the butter in them they don’t stick).
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