Chewy Chai Snickerdoodles

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, and pepper.

In a large bowl, or in a stand mixer, add sugar, cream cheese, and butter. Beat until light and fluffy, then add oil and beat until incorporated. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. In 2 additions, add the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until mixed.

For the coating, in a shallow bowl, whisk together raw sugar and cinnamon. Scoop out 2-tablespoon-sized balls of dough using your hands or a cookie scoop. Roll the ball in your hands to make a nice ball. Roll the ball in the sugar mixture and place each ball of dough on your cookie sheet, placing 8-12 balls of dough on each sheet, depending on how much room you have. Use a glass to lightly flatten the cookie and then sprinkle the tops with some of the remaining sugar and spice.

Bake for 11–12 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until the edges are just browned. Repeat with remaining dough. Let the cookies cool before removing them from the trays and baking more.

These will keep great at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

Recipe inspired by Adrianna Adarme from The Year of Cozy.