Make Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, on medium-high speed beat 1 cup softened butter with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar until light, fluffy and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add 2 eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and continue mixing for another 2 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 3/4 cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 
5. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix on low speed just until combined. Use a spatula or large spoon to incorporate any remaining flour that is at bottom of bowl. 
6. On a small plate combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar with remaining 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Mix well.
7. Using a cookie scoop (mine was about 2 tablespoons!), scoop dough and roll in sugar mix. Place on cookie sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are puffy and light brown on edges, but still a little undercooked in the middle. 
8. Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before making sandwiches. 

Make Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream Filling

1. Preheat oven to 250.
2. Arrange 4 oz of roughly chopped white chocolate on a baking sheet. I like to cover mine with parchment paper for easy clean-up, but not necessary. Chocolate should be in more of a pile, and not completely spread out across the baking sheet. 
3. Place chocolate in oven for 5 minutes to melt. 
4. Remove chocolate and use a small spatula or back of spoon to smooth out into a thin layer. Put back in oven for 10 minutes.
5. Remove chocolate and use spatula or spoon to scrape chocolate up, stir and smooth out again into a thin layer. The chocolate will start looking grainy at this point, but that's normal and totally okay!
6. Keep repeating this process - in oven for 10 minutes, scrape, stir and spread - 2-3 more times. When stirring, make sure to really scrape up from the bottom so that all parts of the chocolate have a chance to caramelize. 
7. The chocolate is done when it's a light tan or butterscotch color and starts to smell a little nutty. There are different levels of this, so you can take it as far as you'd like. While it won't burn TOO easily due to the low temperature, obviously keep an eye on it. 
8. When the chocolate is caramelized to your liking, scrape into a bowl and stir until it becomes creamy again. Let cool for 30 minutes.
9. When ready to make filling, using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed, beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter until creamy. 
10. Slowly add 1 cup powdered sugar and keep beating to combine. Add caramelized white chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat for another minute.
11. Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and combine. At this point, check the consistency. You want it to be creamy and easily spreadable without being too stiff or too runny. Add additional heavy cream to thin it out or more powdered sugar to thicken it up. You should not have to add more than 1-2 tablespoons of each!
12. Spread a generous layer of filling (about 2 tablespoons) on bottom of one cookie and sandwich with another. These are awesome right away, but you can also keep in the tightly wrapped in the fridge for later. I like to take them out and let them sit for 10-15 minutes before eating that way.