Fall is So Yummy! (Chai Pumpkin Spice Cookies)

It has become quite obvious to me now that I will never become one of those people who blogs regularly. My life is just too crazy. But today I will share with you something you do not want to miss out on, so we're all in luck!

I LOVE the fall.  It's not just because my birthday is in October (hint hint) or that the craziness of summer has subsided.  I love the fresh crisp air, apple picking, the beautiful colors of the leaves, corn mazes, sweaters, and the deliciousness that ensues as pumpkins begin to ripen.

I have to admit that I think fall has some of the best recipes. At least in baking :) Personally, I love making pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and even pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  My husband recently asked me to make a loaf of apple butter bread which I have never done before, but in the spirit of fall I believe I will in the next week or two.  Today I will be making the first chili of the season to take the edge off the coolness that is finally settling in.

Yesterday, I ventured to try a new recipe and man did it come out scrumptious! I first saw the Chai Pumpkin Spice cookie recipe here from pinterest and it looked divine.  I had no idea that Hershey made pumpkin spice kisses! I had never seen them before and thought they were a myth...until one night we were at Walmart and I spotted them from across the aisle. I HAD to have them.

 But alas, as soon as I got home, I pulled up the recipe I had previously seen and sunk down in disappointment.

I don't know about you, but I don't regularly keep chai concentrate in the fridge (although maybe I should because chai is the bomb).  So I began a hunt for a recipe collabo that would work for my cookie dreams.  Here at My Baking Addiction I found just the recipe I was looking for! So I smashed the two recipes together and got a fall favorite.  I'm sure I will bake these over and over again, even after I run out of Pumpkin Kisses!

Chai Pumpkin Spiced Sugar Cookies

YIELD: About 3 dozen cookies

Prep time: 0:15

Total time: 0:25

Source: My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 bag Hershey's pumpkin spice kisses

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and black pepper. Remove 1/4 cup of the sugar-spice mixture, set aside to reserve for rolling the cookies.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar-spice mixture until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Beat in egg and vanilla extract, combine until fully incorporated.
6. Slowly blend in dry ingredients mixing until just combined.
7. Using a small scoop (2 teaspoons) roll dough into balls and then into the reserved sugar-spice mixture. Place dough balls on prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
8.Remove from oven. Press Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses into cookies (After this, do not touch them or they will turn to puddles!).
8. Let stand on baking sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. Let cool completely before serving.

Bakers notes: If you don't have ground cardamom, you can always grind up some fresh stuff.  I cooked these for the full 10 minutes and they took about an hour to cool completely.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe and it brings you joy this fall season!