(Featured image by Loose Leaf Vegan )
I discovered Chai Tea in London, when Jo, my Dutch friend who had just returned from India, offered me and our friends a hot cup of this warming beverage, which is perfect for cold winter nights or mornings. It was a love at first sip and I after a small research I found out that Chai Spice could be easily made at home, if you gathered and combined the right spices. Yay!
Image from A Beautiful Mess
The good thing about Chai Spice is that it can be used in more than just a drink. You can use it in your biscuit mix to create sweet and spicy cookies, in your smoothies (amazing with banana), in cakes and even to spice up your morning coffee. You can experiment endlessly with it and online there are countless recipe ideas to get inspired by. It can also make a great DIY holiday gift: put the spice mix in a jar, decorate with cinnamon sticks and provide recipes and ideas for the receiver or just bake loads of Chai Spice Cookies! You can also offer the drink as a warm welcome to your house or after the meal drink.
Handcrafted Chai Spice Mix:
2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp ground all spice
Mix all the spices together and store in a mason jar – use it whenever you want.
Image from Buzzfeed
Chai Tea Recipe:
Makes 2-3 cups: 2 bags black tea, your Handcrafted Chai Spice Mix, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 5 tablespoons of condensed milk.
Fill a pot with 5-6 cups of water, add the tea bags and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and add the Chai Spice Mix. Add to each cup 1- 1 1/2 teaspoon of milk. Pour in the hot mix and stir. Serve with a cinnamon stick!
Image from Buzzfeed
