March 2024

Masala chai snickerdoodles

Name: Masala chai snickerdoodles
Yield: Makes 20
Ingredients: For the spiced sugar; 2tsp ground cinnamon; ½tsp green cardamom seeds, ground; ½tsp fennel seeds, ground; ¼tsp cloves, ground; ¼tsp black peppercorns, ground; 5tbsp granulated sugar; 340g plain flour; Finely ground tea leaves from 2 teabags; 1tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1tsp cream of tartar; 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 140g granulated sugar; 100g light muscovado or light soft brown sugar; 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

Eleanor Ford adapts this classic biscuit with the heady spices of South Asian masala chai

By Eleanor Ford

21 March 2024

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OLA O SMIT

Americans don’t tend to take themselves too seriously in baking, as evidenced by the name snickerdoodle for soft cookies crusted in spiced sugar. That is not to suggest a lack of serious attention to the craft – blog posts abound on to how to achieve the perfect snickerdoodle – rather a fearless creativity and playfulness when it comes to flavours and adaptations. I have therefore taken licence to adapt this classic with the heady spices of South Asian masala chai.

SPICE SWITCH: To make a classic snicker-doodle, omit the tea leaves and use 1tbsp ground cinnamon split between the spiced sugar and the cookie dough.

In A Whisper of Cardamom: Sweetly Spiced Recipes to Fall in Love With (Murdoch Books, £26), food writer and cook Eleanor Ford explores the creative use of spices in sweet dishes. These recipes from the book highlight the varied combinations that help to unlock distinctive flavour and fragrance.

Next, why not try more great recipes from the House & Garden recipe archive?

Recipe notes