Chai Snowballs

Name: Chai Snowballs
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 cup almond flour; 2 tablespoons best-quality black tea leaves, such as Darjeeling, coarsely ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle; 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt; 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 0.75 teaspoon ground ginger; 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom; Pinch of ground cloves; 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature; 0.5 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste

3.6

(8)

8 Reviews

By

Martha Stewart Test Kitchen

Updated on December 5, 2018

chai snowball dessert on plate with pink striped paper — Photo: Ryan Liebe

Prep Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

1 hrs

Yield:

3 dozen

While these powdery treats may resemble Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, they have a decidedly different flavor, thanks to the chai-inspired combination of Darjeeling tea and warming spices in the batter.

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons best-quality black tea leaves, such as Darjeeling, coarsely ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of ground cloves
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a bowl, whisk together both flours, tea, salt, pepper, and spices. In another bowl, beat butter with sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture, beating just until a dough forms. Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls. Place 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake, rotating rack positions once halfway through, until cookies are set and golden on bottoms, 15 to 18 minutes.
Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Roll in confectioners' sugar; let cool completely on a wire rack. Generously coat in more confectioners' sugar before serving, or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.