Tamari

Cut 113 g of butter into small cubes and place them in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Let the butter melt, then continue cooking. It will begin to foam and bubble - stir often with a heat-proof spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Cook until the butter turns a medium amber color and smells nutty. You’ll see brown specks forming on the bottom - those are the flavorful milk solids.

Remove from heat immediately and pour the brown butter into a heat-proof mixing bowl, making sure to scrape in all the brown bits.

Add the chai spices to the melted, still-warm brown butter. The gentle heat helps release the spices’ essential oils, intensifying their aroma and flavor.

Allow the spiced melted butter to cool for about 10 minutes. It should still be liquid and can be warm to the touch.

Once the brown butter has cooled, add the remaining room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and molasses. Using the paddle attachment, cream on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stop halfway to scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.

Add the room-temperature egg, egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. Mix for another minute until smooth and well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dough to an airtight container. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to make scooping easier.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough into equal-sized scoops. I like to scoop all the chai sugar dough first, then bake in batches.

Roll each scoop into a ball with clean hands. If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate the scoops for 10 minutes before rolling.

Pour granulated sugar into a small bowl and roll each cookie dough ball to coat. This gives the cookies a lightly crisp exterior, subtle sweetness, and that classic bakery-style sparkle.

Arrange 6 - 8 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, leaving space for spreading. If desired, sprinkle a little extra sugar on top.

Bake one tray at a time for 9 - 10 minutes, until the cookies are puffy and the edges are just set.

Remove from the oven. For a crackled top and extra-chewy CHAI cookies, gently tap the baking sheet on the counter - this flattens them slightly and creates a pretty crinkled surface

Use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to give them a neat shape. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.