Chocolate Chai Latte Cookies

Adapted from a recipe I found in a Land O'Lakes holiday cookie mag. Unusual but good (calls for a cake mix as the cookie base). They went over pretty well with my favorite group of culinary guinea pigs, my coworkers!

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Yields: 72 cookies

Ingredients

• COOKIE

• 1 (18 1/4ounce)  butter recipe  chocolate cake mix
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves (see note below)
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1  egg
• 3  tablespoons milk (I use skim)
• 1  cup  milk chocolate chips (can use semisweet if you prefer)
• 1⁄2 cup white chocolate chips (see note below)

• DRIZZLE

• 1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 -5  teaspoons milk (can use water instead)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients in the cookie list except for the chips. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and well mixed.
3. Stir in chips.
4. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls (I use a small cookie scoop). Place about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake at 350F for about 9 to 11 minutes, or until tops are set (slight underbaking will provide more fudgy chewy cookies).
6. Cool cookies on baking sheet for about 2 minutes. Remove cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
7. While cookies are cooling, combine the dry drizzle ingredients in a small bowl. Add milk or water gradually, mixing well between additions, until you achieve the consistency you like.
8. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Allow drizzled cookies to dry fully before packing cookies for storage or transport.
9. NOTE: In place of the spices in the cookies, you can use 3 tbs. of instant chai latte mix (any flavor).
10. NOTE: You can substitute 1 1/2 cups white chocolate/semisweet swirled chips for the separate types, if you prefer.