Chai Tea

I have never been a coffee drinker, and I tried to like it in college to help with all those all-nighters and hangovers but could not do it. As an adult, I have come to love tea. So on a chilly day when I want something warm and comforting, Spicy and Sweet chai tea is what I love. I started playing around with recipes at the restaurant when I couldn't find a chai I liked to serve to customers. So from that, I decided to make it in-house and came up with the perfect formula. I love making this in big batches and giving it to neighbors and friends as gifts for the holidays instead of cookies.

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Ingredients:

3 liters Water

5 English Breakfast Tea Bags

1/2 cup Honey

11/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla

3 orange Slices

1 tablespoon Black Peppercorns

5 whole Star Anise

4 Cinnamon Sticks

1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon

2 whole nutmeg crushed (I place them under a clean dry towel and wack them with a meat mallet, very therapeutic)

1 tablespoon whole All Spice

1 1/2 Tablespoon whole clove

5-8 whole cardamom pods

This part seems a little silly to explain, but you are going to want to place all the ingredients in a large stock pot over medium heat.

Bring tea to a simmer for 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let sit in the pot for another 30 to 40 minutes. This will help all the flavors seep into the tea.

Strain out the spices and store in a jar in the fridge for up to a month.

Serve warm it with a mix of 1/2 chai to 1/2 milk. I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on top to make it pretty.

Cheers Babes

XOXO