These "Cat Lady Chai Cookies" Are Here to Spice Up Your Election Party

Get the Full StoryIn a YouTube video from 2019, Vice President Kamala Harris - at the time, a US senator - bakes cookies in the kitchen of an Iowa voter. She expertly cracks the eggs with one hand and reminisces about how she loved sneaking spoonfuls of raw cookie dough from the bowl as a young girl. "This is the beginning of any good cookie recipe," she says while mixing the butter and sugar. Vice President Harris has often used cooking to connect to voters - so much so that there's now a whole website dedicated to her recipes, as well as others she's inspired.

On the website Kamala's Recipes, you can find the recipe for the Blue Wave Tuna Melt she once made during an Instagram Live, the Bathtub Collard Greens she talked about at a Georgia rally earlier this year, and the turkey brine she famously shared with a reporter just before going on air in 2020.

In addition to the cookies she made on YouTube back in 2019, Kamala's Recipes also features Cat Lady Chai Cookies. The full recipe is ahead. Cat Lady Chai Cookies are essentially an iced sugar cookie, but instead of plain vanilla, the icing incorporates chai spice - the main ingredient in Indian-style tea - paying homage to the presidential candidate's South Asian heritage. The cookies also include eggnog, taking inspiration from the chai sugar cookie recipe of Taylor Swift, who in 2020 showed her support of the Democratic ticket by decorating her cookies with the Biden-Harris logo in an Instagram post.

The name Cat Lady Chai Cookies, as you might've guessed, is a reference to J.D. Vance's comments about Harris and the Democratic Party being made up of "childless cat ladies" in 2021, a talking point that conservatives have continued to recycle. Swift famously reclaimed the label by signing off her much-anticipated endorsement of Harris this year with "Childless Cat Lady." Addressing the broader discourse, Harris later stated on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that "family comes in many forms, and I think that increasingly, all of us understand that this is not the 1950s anymore." And since it's not the 1950s, it's also safe to say that sugar cookies can also have chai spice.

Though the flavor profile of Cat Lady Chai Cookies may challenge that of a traditional sugar cookie, they're basically catnip if you already like chai and eggnog. The cookie dough itself is like any other sugar cookie, as it combines butter with sugar, eggs, powdered sugar, flour, and vanilla. The chai spice and eggnog don't come in until later, as they're added to the icing, along with powdered sugar, more vanilla, and milk.

It's worth noting that these cookies aren't a quick recipe, so if you plan to make them for the next presidential debate or while watching the election results, keep in mind they require patience. You'll have to let the dough sit in the refrigerator for an hour or at least 15 minutes in the freezer because otherwise, they'll spread too much in the oven. Then, set aside time to shape, sugarcoat, and allow the cookies to cool sufficiently after taking them out of the oven to prevent the icing from melting when spread or drizzled on top.

Despite the somewhat lengthy cooking process, these Cat Lady Chai Cookies are well worth it. Despite the vegetable oil, they're rich and buttery but not greasy, and they have a soft, chewy texture. The icing adds a layer of warm, spiced flavor that complements the sweetness, and there's plenty to share, too. The recipe on the website claims to yield a dozen cookies, but if you use the recommended one-tablespoon portions for each cookie, you will actually end up with 32. Harris was not exaggerating when she said she loved snacking on raw cookie dough.

If you want to try these Cat Lady Chai Cookies for yourself, keep reading for step-by-step photos and the full recipe.

Kalea Mart n writes primarily about food and cooking for PS, but as a former figure skater and hockey player, she covers fitness, too. Prior to becoming a lifestyle writer, Kalea covered hotels, restaurants, and travel for Luxos Magazine in Milan and worked in marketing at HarperCollins Publishers.

Cat Lady Chai CookiesKamala's Recipe

IngredientsSugar Cookies:

cup 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

cup vegetable oil

cup granulated sugar

cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon salt

Chai Eggnog Icing:

cup unsalted butter softened

3 cups powdered sugar

cup eggnog

1 tsp chai spice or a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Directions

For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or foil, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter in a large bowl on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the vegetable oil. It may not fully incorporate the butter, but that s OK. Add the granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla, beating on medium speed until each ingredient is completely incorporated.

Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt all at once using a wooden spoon or the mixer set on low. The dough will be soft.

Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes just so it s easier to handle. For large cookies, dollop 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. For smaller cookies use 1 Tablespoon for each cookie. Press the dough evenly with your fingers or palm to 1 4-inch thickness. Generously sprinkle sugar on top of the cookie dough.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes for larger cookies or 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely. The cookies will keep for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

Now for the icing . . . first, cream the butter: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Add powdered sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated.

Mix in eggnog: Pour in the eggnog and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add chai spice and vanilla: Stir in the chai spice, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Continue to beat until everything is well combined and the frosting is smooth.

Adjust consistency: If the frosting is too thick, add a little more eggnog, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Spread or pipe the chai eggnog icing on sugar cookies for a festive treat!

Information Category Desserts, Cookies

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