Chai Sugar Cookies are made from an easy no-chill sugar cookie dough that is flavored with warm chai spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, cardamom and white pepper. Cut them into whimsical shapes for a fun take on a holiday classic!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and spices and beat until combined.
Slowly add the flour, stirring just until combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to form into a disk. Roll the dough to ⅛ to ¼-inch thick and cut with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or just until the bottoms start to turn golden. The edges will not take on much color. Remove from the baking sheets to a rack to cool before icing.
Make the Icing:
Stir together the granulated sugar and water in a small microwave-safe bowl or ramekin. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar (sift first for a completely smooth icing), milk, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the sugar syrup until smooth. Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency. Spread onto cookies and allow to dry before storing.
Notes
While this dough does not require chilling, you can certainly make it ahead and roll, cut and bake the cookies later. Simply wrap up the disk of dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until needed.