Chai Tea Latte

Chai Tea Lattes are one of my favorite things to get at a coffee shop. I had a tendency to get one each morning on my way into the office and at over $4/day I was spending a small fortune to get my caffeine fix. This Chai Tea Latte recipe is the perfect quantity to last a week and is not too spicy or sweet.

Serves 5/12oz or 4/16oz

Ingredients:
16 cardamom pods
16 black pepper peppercorns
8 cloves
4 star anise
1 oz cinnamon sticks
4 cups water
4 cups half and half, or your favorite nondairy substitute
1/2 cup packed ginger, minced
3 tablespoons loose leaf black tea, approximately 9 teabags
1/4 cup white sugar*

Directions:

1. In a food processor add cardamom pods, black pepper peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Pulse until the spice mixture is pea sized.

2. In a large pot add water and half and half. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

3. Remove liquid from heat. Stir in spice mixture, ginger, black tea, and sugar. Stir gently to combine.

4. Let tea steep for 10-15 minutes, until you have reached the desired color.

5. Strain chai into a pitcher or refrigerator safe container using a fine strainer or cheesecloth; refrigerate. Serve as desired, shaking or stirring prior.

6. To serve cold: Add ice to a glass and pour chai over To serve hot: Heat desired amount in a small pot on the stove over medium heat until desired temperature is achieved.

Pro Tip: To make it sweeter: add 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar, stirring to dissolve and tasting, until desired sweetness level is reached. To make it spicier: Add 6 additional cardamon pods, 6 black pepper peppercorns, 1 star anise, 4 cloves.