January has me seeking comfort in little rituals. One of my favorite ones is having tea in the afternoon and that ritual is all the more wonderful when there's a little nosh to be had alongside said tea. The cookies offered here are among my favorites as they boast the flavors of chai with a certain heartiness that a single cookie can offer when packed with oatmeal and pecans.
The blend of spices can be a bit overwhelming. If you want to streamline the process of making the cookie dough, you can opt for 4 teaspoons of a good pie spice in place of the first five spices (cinnamon through nutmeg). Do add the black pepper and cardamom though - they really brighten the flavor and give the cookies a good chai flavor. You can also opt to skip the pecans or substitute a different chopped nut.
I've been known to just freeze a dozen or more cookies in a resealable freezer bag and pop one in the microwave while I make my tea. The result is a warm cookie alongside my soothing beverage and what's not to love about that?
Oatmeal Chai Cookies
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld or standing electric mixer and beat the butter and sugars together until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and all of the spices.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Stir in the old fashioned oats and pecans, if using.
Divide the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and drop them onto the prepared baking sheets, pressing each ball down slightly. Leave a 2-inch space between each cookie ball.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies turn golden brown. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Yields: 2 dozen cookies
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes