Name: Chai-Spiced Crescent Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon allspice; 1/8 teaspoon cardamom; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided; 1/2 cup pecans; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Description

These moon-shaped cookies are made with classic chai spices, pecans and a coating of powdered sugar for a festive and flavorful treat. Make them for the holidays or anytime you’re craving a really good cookie.

Ingredients

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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

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Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg and salt until well combined.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup powdered sugar and pecans together until a coarse meal forms.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat butter and vanilla on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in nut mixture until just combined. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Dough will be moist but crumbly.
Turn dough out onto a clean countertop; knead a few times to form a ball. Gently but firmly press dough ball into a rough log shape.
Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 24 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 1 1/2-inch log, then bend to form a crescent shape, tapering ends slightly. Place on prepared baking sheets spaced at least 1 inch apart.
Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are set and bottoms are golden-brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
In a small shallow bowl, sift remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Roll still-warm cookies in powdered sugar, then return to cooling rack to cool completely. Roll or dust fully cooled cookies with any extra powdered sugar.
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

You can swap the ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg called for in this recipe for 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, if desired.
These cookies taste even better on day two!
This recipe can easily be doubled to make about 48-50 cookies.

Keywords: chai cookie dough, chai shortbread dough, pecan cookie dough, cardamom cookies