Place cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise in a small, dry skillet. Place over medium heat and toast, shaking or stirring occasionally, until the spices are fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Place toasted spices in a bowl until cool.

Once cool, place the toasted spices, tea leaves, and ground ginger into a spice grinder and grind until finely ground.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons of the ground chai spice mix, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining chai spice mix and ¼ cup sugar. Scoop dough with a #50 scoop (about a heaping tablespoonful), roll into balls, and roll each ball in the sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets.

Bake cookies in preheated oven until set but not hard, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies onto cooling racks as soon as they come out of the oven.