The Chai

Ashley can attest to this, I love chai. I would have a chai latte every single day if I could, and now I am happy to say I can- and so can you! I, like many blue blooded americans had their first experience with chai at Starbucks. And although for this past year I've been scouring the trusty world wide web for impressive homemade chai recipes I have yet to be impressed. Some much too weak, and tasting like just watery warm milk, ewww, and others so bitter I had to dump it out. So today, being the first Sunday (day off) of fall I decided to get crafty and experiment- never did I imagine it would turn out perfectly, the first time! Whoa, beginners luck? I will take it. So here it is my friends, my deliciously amazing chai latte recipe!!

Serves two of your favorite medium/large mugs

            or three small one's

Ingredients:

3 cups water

3 cinnamon sticks (broken up a bit)

8 cardamon pods (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

3 star anise  (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

1 teaspoon whole cloves  (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorn  (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

5 bags Darjeeling Tea

1/4 cup Almond Breeze Almond Milk -Vanilla

      or Silk Soy Milk -Vanilla, per serving 

1 packet of Stevia, per serving

In medium saucepan over medium heat start to bring water to a boil. Place cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, cloves, peppercorn, nutmeg, & ginger in water and bring to a full boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Now reduce heat again to low (the lowest your stove top will go) and let it simmer once more for 10 minutes, make sure you stir a bit and get anything off the sides of the saucepan. Once that ten minutes is up bring the heat back up and just before boil turn off. Now is when you can put in your Darjeeling Tea and let seep for 5 minutes. Do not leave in any longer than five minutes, it will release tannins and make an insanely bitter chai, no no good! Take tea bags out and prepare a container to strain the the drink into. I use a strainer and also half of a paper towel (because I don't have cheese cloth which would probably make my life easier, soo next time). You want to make sure you don't get any floating chunks of spice into your actual chai concentrate. 

To serve, warm up milk and put about 3/4 cups of concentrate into your mug. Once milk is all warmed up add to your mug, add stevia and stir! Garnish with whatever your heart desires, I added a dash (or maybe two) of ground cinnamon and put a little star anise for the photo because it was cute. 

I really don't mean to toot my own horn, and I am one of thooose who rarely loves the things I make and always need second, third and fourth opinions but for this baby, one sip and I knew I did good. Now go- go and make your chai latte and never buy the $4 a cup again! 

Tips & Tricks:

Store the concentrate in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

I like my chai spicy. Not hot spicy, just the ability to taste all the spices and get a good flavor! If one or two particular spices fancy's your particular taste just add more! Simple as that! This recipe will easily double or triple ;) 

As much as I love "the chai" I dislike all that black tea in my system, I am not a major caffeine gal. Thus I, and those of you who may be in agreeance, can sometimes substitute it with an herbal tea, a red roobios  would be perfect or a red roobios chai, and even though the latter is probably kind of cheating, it would be a great idea to use.

Serve on ice or blended for a cool treat!