Chocolate chip cookie shells topped with Numi Golden Chai infused cheesecake and Thindulgent cashew toffee milk chocolate bark. These treats start with a mix so you can make them in a jiffy, and they feature fair trade ingredients.
This post was originally published by Gail Dickinson on Chocolate, Chocolate and More as a part of a Fair Trade USA Recipe Rally competition. It has been shortened slightly for the Numi Tea Garden Blog.
I don’t mind paying a little extra for fair trade ingredients because they really benefit hard working people and the quality is top notch. With Mother’s Day coming up, it’s really important to remember the vital role women play in our communities. Empowered women bring so many benefits to their communities and fair trade products empower women.
Until I received my box [of Fair Trade Certified samples], I had no idea that Guittard Chocolate is a fair trade company. Guittard extra dark chocolate chips are a staple in my house because their flavor is unmatched. If you haven’t used them in your chocolate chip cookies, you’re missing out.
Normally I make my chocolate chip cookies from scratch but time is of the essence and my Fair Trade USA box included Immaculate chocolate chip cookie mix. Immaculate Baking Company chocolate chip cookie mix batter is much darker than my toll house cookie batter. It looks like there’s cocoa in the batter (but there isn’t). Even though the cookies come out darker than the photo on the box, they taste amazingly like made-from-scratch.
To make the cookie cups, I baked the cookie batter in muffin cups and then pressed out the middle with a spoon. I flavored the Chai Cheesecake filling with Numi Golden Chai. I drink chai tea every morning for breakfast. The cardamom, ginger and cinnamon are so invigorating in the morning. And, chai goes so well with chocolate. I like to make a batch of very strong chai that I keep in my refrigerator. In the morning, just add some milk and sugar and microwave for chai tea latte– so much less expensive than a coffee shop and no added colorings.
Because they start with a mix, you can make these Chai Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups in less than an hour. The Fair Trade USA box includes so many options for garnishing these treats. I chose the Thindulgent Cashew Toffee Milk Chocolate Bark because the toffee and chocolate pair so well with the chai. The dark chocolate almonds or rainbow chocolate drops would also work very well. Give these chai-spiced treats a try in the recipe below.
- Immaculate chocolate chip cookie mix (prepare batter according to package directions)
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup boiling hot water
- 2 Numi Golden Chai teabags
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- Thindulgent Cashew Toffee Milk Chocolate Bark garnish
- Put the tea bags in the boiling water and let steep while you prepare Immaculate chocolate chip cookie dough according to instructions on the box.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions and spread in the bottom of an ungreased muffin tin. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the chai cheesecake filling while the cookie cups are baking.
- Remove tea bags from the hot water and add unflavored gelatin. Stir to dissolve.
- Put heavy cream, cream cheese and powdered sugar in a bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add in the concentrated tea mixture and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Refrigerate until cookie cups are cool.
- While the cookies are still warm, use a spoon to hollow out the centers (I just pressed down a bit to make an indentation). Let cool in the pan. Use a knife to loosen the edges and remove cookie cups from the pan.
- Top each cookie cup with chai cheesecake and garnish with a small piece of milk chocolate bark. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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