chai latte

Make this just for the aroma...even if you never take the first drink of the chai latte.

 But...look what you will miss if you never taste!!!

• Tazo Earl Grey tea
• Market Spice Tea - Cinnamon Orange
• freshly grated nutmeg
• vanilla bean
• fresh ginger
• cardamom fancy white pods
• Indonesia cinnamon sticks (cassia) {saving the real cinnamon for Baklava!}
• Chinese star anise
• Ceylon whole cloves
• black peppercorns

• honey
• water
• raw sugar
• whole milk

Individually, some of the spices may be on your 'I don't really like that' list; however, combined they each contribute to the wonderful flavor of the whole.

simmering (this s m e l l s  so  good...)

20 minutes later and strained
The post-simmered spices maintain their beauty.

equal parts warm frothed milk and chai concentrate

dusted with ground cinnamon

oh...and, use that left over cinnamon stick!

D E L I C I O U S!

Chai Concentrate

(adapted from here)

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 4 Earl Grey tea bags (black tea)
• 4 cinnamon orange tea bags (or use total of 8 bags of black tea)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3" section of raw ginger (I didn't peel mine)
• 10 whole cloves
• 8 cardamom pods
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 whole star anise pods
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (I didn't use this; cinnamon orange tea is very orange)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• whole milk

Mixing:

1. Bring water and sugar to boil, dissolving sugar
2. Add tea bags, all spices, vanilla bean, and zest
3. Simmer 20 minutes
4. Remove from heat and strain into container 
5. Stir in honey; allow to cool; store in refrigerator for a week

Chai Latte

1. Heat whole milk to simmer
2. Froth milk (I used my hand mixer)
3. Add equal parts chai concentrate and frothed milk to your mug
4. Dust top with cinnamon
5. Stir with left over cinnamon stick
6. Enjoy

cliche, but 'good to the last drop'

Update:  Don't!! throw the spices away after straining them from the liquid.  My spices have been sitting on the counter for a week; they add a whiff of fragrance to the fall air.

Update/Update:  My chai concentrate did get cloudy after a day; I have read that the cloudiness is due to oil extractions from quality tea leaves.  Adding boiling water will reduce the cloudiness.  Equal parts chai concentrate and boiling water yields an enjoyable spicy hot tea.

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