Chai Tea…it’s absolutely FABULOUS, darling!
Well, I have to make a big old pot of tea as my voice has completely gone on vacation. (Do you hear everyone cheering in the background?) I prefer to use the whole spices in this recipe, if I have them. The powdered ones make the chai cloudy, but it is still tasty! This one is for me, but I also make a decaf one for the big kids. They like it a bit more “milky” than I do.
Chai Tea
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick (8 inch), broken into 1” pieces OR 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cardamom seed pods
4 whole allspice OR 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
½ inch crystallized ginger OR 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
5 rounded teaspoons loose Darjeeling tea (or other black tea)
To make the tea, you will need:
6 cups water
2 cups almond or soy milk
3 tablespoons honey
To make dry Chai mix: Mix together all dry ingredients and store tightly sealed until ready to make tea.
To make a pot of Chai tea: Mix the Chai tea mix in a medium saucepan with the 6 cups of water and bring to a low boil. Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes. Add the 2 cups of almond or soy milk and bring to a gentle simmer, do not boil. Allow the mixture to simmer until it reaches the desired strength, even over an hour. Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer. Add honey and stir to dissolve. Serve immediately or chill and serve over ice.