Chai cookie was a winner for Goodfellows

It was another year of sweet success for our Very Merry Cookie Challenge fundraising initiative.

Central Market has donated $4,000 in proceeds from the sale of last year's winning cookie to the Star-Telegram's Goodfellow Fund, which helps local families in need.

The cookies, chai snickerdoodles, were baked and sold for two weeks in December at Central Market in Fort Worth and Southlake.

The Star-Telegram has partnered with local bakeries for the past four years to sell the cookie as a Goodfellows fundraiser; a total of $12,200 has been raised.

Here's the winning recipe, entered by reader Andrea Hicks of Keller:

Chai snickerdoodles

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup Crisco shortening)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Hershey's cinnamon chips (see note)

4 tablespoons Oregon Chai Tea Latte Mix

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter and sugars until creamy; mix in eggs.

2. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, and stir into cream mixture. Stir in cinnamon chips. Mix well.

3. Scoop into 1-inch balls and roll in chai mix to coat. Place on cookie sheets (or a baking stone) about two inches apart.

4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes; cool slightly on pan until firm. Cool completely on cooling rack.

Note: If you can't find cinnamon chips, butterscotch chips may be substituted and will yield a sweeter cookie.

Nutritional information per cookie, based on 4 dozen: 101 calories, 4 grams fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 55 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 37 percent of calories from fat.

-- Andrea Hicks, Keller

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