These cookies represent the new identity of my blog so well – they are cookies, not a very traditional Indian recipe but made with a taste that brings about a lot of Indian-ness to it. Even though it is a cookie recipe, it is made from scratch with all organic ingredients ( I rarely buy store bought cookies any more. These are some of the easiest thing to bake and taste so much fresher than the store bought ones), they are sweet – which appeals to the humongous sweet tooth I was born with and one that refuses to let go of me anytime soon. (even though I wish a part of it would. Sigh.)
The buttery soft melt in your mouth kind cookies with a touch of spice from the Chai Masala and a little bite from the cashew bits in between are everything you can ask for in a pick me up kind of situation. And I bet, you cannot stop at one or two or even a plateful. And then you go into a guilty spiral mode for eating so many. Well, you can’t blame me or the poor cookies for that now! That little piece of advice is just coming from a personal experience of going through those exact same cycles as I made these cookies.
As I am typing this down, every bone in me is tempting me to go through that all over again, though I will have to use every ounce of will power to not do that. Which is why I should stop writing just about now and take you straight to the recipe.
Chai Masala Spice and Cashew Nut Shortbread Cookies
The base recipe follows the same one as for the Coconut Orange Macadamia Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon chai masala powder
- ¼ cup cashew nuts, chopped
Method:
- Beat the butter well in a stand mixer till it becomes creamy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients together other than the nuts and mix well.
- Mix in the nuts to the mixture in the stand mixer.
- Spread out a sheet of cling wrap.
- Scoop out the dough onto it and roll it out to a log shaped roll about 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter.
- Roll tightly with the cling wrap and twist at both ends in opposite direction.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Take out the roll and unwrap it. Cut the log into circles ¼ inch thick or so.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20-30 mins until lightly golden in color.
- Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight jar.
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon chai masala powder
- ¼ cup cashew nuts, chopped
- Beat the butter well in a stand mixer till it becomes creamy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients together other than the nuts and mix well.
- Mix in the nuts to the mixture in the stand mixer.
- Spread out a sheet of cling wrap.
- Scoop out the dough onto it and roll it out to a log shaped roll about 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter.
- Roll tightly with the cling wrap and twist at both ends in opposite direction.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Take out the roll and unwrap it. Cut the log into circles ¼ inch thick or so.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20-30 mins until lightly golden in color.
- Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight jar.
Lucy says
Oh my gosh, these look amazing! I just got into baking with garam masala and chai, and I love shortbread. Pinning these to make very soon!
Manju says
Thank you Lucy.It sure is fun to experiment with different spices, especially in baking.
molly kumar says
These look Lovely Manju & easy recipe too ....I remember sneaking in mom's kitchen to gobble some everyday 😉
Manju says
Thanks Molly! 🙂
Heather says
Thanks for sharing a cookie recipe! I love the sweets. These sound amazing and I can't wait to try.
Manju says
Thanks Heather!
Chris @ SimpleFood365 says
Those cookies look yummy! I love shortbread cookies!
Manju says
Thanks Chris. I love them too!
Hillary Reeves says
Perfection. Love some shortbread with my tea!!
Platter Talk says
We are in love with these savory little tea cookies; thanks so much for sharing!
Noor says
Such a perfect treat to enjoy with a up of tea. I'm bookmarking this to make next time my dad visits.
Ciao Florentina says
I love short bread. I eat a whole box when I buy them , so addictive , yum!
Katalina @ Peas & Peonies says
wow the flavor of these cookies sounds really good! They would be perfect for my afternoon tea time!
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says
I love shortbread cookies, and this recipe with chai sounds extra special!
Jessica says
These cookies look delightful! I was just telling my mom today that I've never baked with chai but want to try!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
These would be wonderful for a tea or even a shower. They look so delicate. Thank you for sharing.
Oana @AdoreFoods says
I love shortbread cookies! Pinned to make them soon!
Sudha says
Nice blog, and these cookies are so inviting, Thanks for sharing!
Just a quick question - Do you mind sharing what goes into your chai masala powder