Brown-Butter Chai Snickerdoodles

Serves 4 · 20 min prep · 22 min cook

Ingredients

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 batch cinnamon-sugar for rolling (1/4 cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon)

Instructions

1. 1Place the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Melt, then continue cooking, swirling often, until the milk solids turn deep amber and the butter smells intensely nutty, 4–6 minutes; immediately pour into a large heatproof bowl, scraping in all the browned bits. Cool 10 minutes.
2. 2Whisk the granulated sugar and brown sugar into the slightly cooled brown butter until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds until the mixture looks glossy and slightly thickened.
3. 3In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain; the dough will be soft.
4. 4Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes so it firms up enough to scoop cleanly. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
5. 5Scoop dough into 12 equal balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Roll each ball thoroughly in the cinnamon-sugar mixture so it is completely coated.
6. 6Arrange 6 balls per sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 9–11 minutes, rotating halfway, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy.
7. 7Remove the sheet and immediately bang it once firmly on the counter to deflate the cookies slightly for those signature crinkles. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with the second sheet.
8. 8Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days; a 10-second microwave refresh brings back the soft centers.