Today I introduce to you Chai Spice Shortbread Cookies! A lovely combination of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and black pepper. One of my secret joys is to add the herbs I love so dearly to everyday foods and sweet treats. These tasty morsels are really quite lovely with a warm cup of coffee or tea. Cookies for breakfast, why not? Adding some royal icing designs is totally optional but adds a loving touch.

Chai Spice Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

10 T salted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

Chai Spice Blend – 4 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp allspice, a pinch of black pepper

Royal Icing Ingredients

3 3/4 cups confectioners sugar

3 large egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Pinch of salt

Directions

In a large bowl, cream softened butter, sugar, and chai spices using a mixer

Scrape bowl down and add flour slowly while beating on low. Scrape bowl once more and mix until combined.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Remove dough from refrigerator and using a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4″ thickness

Using a cookie cutter, cut desired shapes

Place cookies, spaced at least an inch apart on baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, add royal icing designs.

Royal Icing Directions

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt

Using an electric mixture, whisk until stiff and glossy

Transfer the frosting to piping bags fitted with a small round tip. If you don’t have piping bags or a fine tip, using a plastic baggy and cut a tiny hole one of the bottom corners.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cookies and let set.