Glazed Chai Cookie Bars

I needed something easy to whip up for my book club meeting so I thumbed through the bar/cookie recipes in my collection. This time of year there's nothing I like better than downing cups of tea throughout the day to keep warm, with one of my favorites being chai. The combination of spices is one of my favorites so why not bake them into a cookie bar topped with a sweet honey glaze?

My review of the finished product is that the flavors are subtle, the bars are nicely chewy, and while the honey in the glaze works well since tea + honey is always a win I can't help but wonder if a different topping might work better. I think I'm too spoiled by cake topped with frosting and had a hard time adjusting my palate. Still, these are tasty if you're looking for a buttery cookie treat.

Glazed Chai Cookie Bars
Recipe from Crepes of Wrath

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Glaze:
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk (start with 2 tablespoons, add more as needed)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease and/or line a 9x13x2 pan. Beat together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat in the egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, garam masala, cloves, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg until blended. Add to butter mixture and beat gently until everything is thoroughly combined. Don’t over-mix, though. If everything isn’t quite coming together in your mixer, finish it up by hand.

3. The dough will be very similar to a cookie dough, so I found it easiest to press it into the prepared pan by hand. Don’t worry if it looks thin, it’ll puff up when baking. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes, until the dough no longer wiggles when gently shaken and the dough is a very light brown. Allow to cool completely before finishing up with the glaze.

4. To make the glaze, combine the three tablespoons of honey and powdered sugar, then beat together until combined. Add in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the icing is a consistency that you like. Pour the glaze over the bars and allow to set (this can be sped up by putting the bars in the fridge).