Let’s Make: Taylor Swift’s Chai Cookies  

In many ways, September is a time of transition. This month not only marks the beginning of a new academic year, but also the changing of seasons. While some of us use this time to soak in the last sunny days of summer, others (me included) are anxiously awaiting the first signs of autumn. In the spirit of the season, I’ve decided to share a recipe that was created by fellow home baker and autumn enthusiast, Taylor Swift.  

Here’s what you’ll need to make these chai sugar cookies:  

Start by lining a few baking sheets with parchment paper and preheating your oven to 350℉. In a medium-sized bowl mix together your softened butter, vegetable oil, and both sugars.   

Pro Tip: make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature, as this will ensure that they blend smoothly with the other ingredients, achieving a homogeneous mixture (which is always the goal in baking!).  

Once the mixture is creamy and light yellow in color, add in your egg and vanilla extract. Mix until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. While sifting is not absolutely necessary, it is recommended, as this technique helps eliminate any clumps in the dry ingredients and helps produce a pillowy final texture. Next, cut open the chai tea bag and add the contents to your bowl.   

Substitution: if you don’t drink chai tea but still crave the cozy flavor, try this homemade spice blend – 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ginger, ¼ teaspoon of cardamom, ¼ teaspoon of all-spice, and ¼ teaspoon of clove.  

Finally, combine both mixtures to make the cookie dough. Refrigerate the dough in a covered bowl for an hour, allowing it to firm up for rolling. Then, use a tablespoon to measure out your dough balls and place them a couple inches apart on your baking sheets.   

Optional: for some added sweetness and a crunchy exterior, roll your dough balls in a cinnamon sugar mix (approximately ½ cup of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon).  

Flatten the tops slightly using a cup or the palm of your hand and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. While your cookies cool, whip up a quick icing by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and 3 tablespoons of milk. Taylor uses eggnog, but it’s tricky to track down this time of year (if you make this recipe closer to the holiday season, I definitely recommend giving it a try). If your icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more milk/eggnog. Adjust the icing one tablespoon at a time in order to achieve your ideal consistency. Once the cookies have cooled completely, top with your icing and, in true Taylor fashion, add an extra sprinkle of cinnamon on top.  

I encourage you to fully embrace this recipe, whatever that means to you. Personally, my favorite way to make these cookies is by the light of a fall candle, singing along to Red (Taylor’s Version). Whatever you decide, may this be your sign to channel your inner Swiftie and get making.