Brown Butter Chai Molasses Cookies
Dang, what a mouthful! Literally! Theses cookies are soft and chewy and full of the comforting flavor.
Back when I was a little teenager trying to make a go of it on my own in culinary school, a classmate brought in molasses cookies. It was the first time I had ever had them, and, truly, I have been thinking about those cookies for the past 14 years. They weren’t overly gingery the way most molasses cookies are. They were flavored with subtle warm spices and rich in molasses flavor. With just the right chew, they have captivated my attention for my entire adult life. I knew one day I would have to recreate that recipe.
What I didn’t know was I was in for a hiccup of learning to be gluten free. After 10 years now of living gluten free, I finally felt I was armed with enough knowledge to tackle my dream cookie.
After making my dirty chai custard pie, I have been in LOVE with chia flavor. I knew it would be just right for this cookie as I wanted the warming spices without it tasting just like a ginger cookie. If I’m melting butter, I’m browning it. It’s a law for me now. And it added another layer of richness to this wonderfully complex cookie.
My first test was too dry and my second too wet. To make up for theses shortcomings, I reduced the flour and added just a touch of milk to the dough. The result was a soft, mildly fluffy, yet still chewy cookie. The sugar chai mix that you roll the dough in adds just enough bite and chew with just a touch more warm spices without losing the molasses flavor.
The result is a cookie that, though it be gluten free, would have 17 year old Rachel thinking about for almost as many years as she had thus far been alive.
Brown Butter Chai Molasses Cookies
Chai Seasoning Ingredients:
3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) cinnamon
2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Cookie Dough Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, browned and cooled slightly
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tablespoon chai seasoning
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups gluten free flour blend
Sugar For Rolling Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon chai seasoning
Instructions:
For the chai seasoning, mix everting together in a small jar. This will make you a little more than you need for this recipe. You can use the extras for sprinkling on top of lattes or in other recipes!
For the cookies, add the butter, molasses, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and egg together. Whisk well until it is all mixed together.
Add to the wet ingredients the chai seasoning, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well. Whisk in the flour until all incorporated. Dough will come together but still be a bit wet and sticky. You want this.
Cover the bowl and pop the dough in the fridge to sit for minimum 30 minutes or even overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Make your rolling sugar by mixing together the 2 tablespoons sugar and the teaspoon of chai seasoning. Take about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the chai sugar. Place on a baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart each. Bake for about 8-9 minutes or until the cookies spread and crack and look done. Error towards underbaking! Enjoy with a glass of milk!
