Vanilla Chai--A Comforting Cup and "Simple Saturday Sipper"

When the weather is cool, the wind blows and the rain comes down I crave chai tea. (Actually I crave chai tea pretty much all year round but that's when I crave it hot). The last couple of days have been my favorite kind of winter light-blanket weather (this is still Hawaii you know!) and perfect for a cup of chai. There is something about the blend of exotic spices that is warm, comforting and incredibly good.

I decided to alter my normal chai tea base recipe a bit and add one of the gorgeous vanilla beans I received to sample from Marx Foods. (I used a Madagascar bean this time). To make it dairy-free and give it an extra punch of vanilla, I mixed the chai base with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and added a bit of vanilla extract. The result--a warming and delicious cup of Vanilla Chai and a comforting "Simple Saturday Sipper."

Vanilla Chai

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes 4 Cups of Chai Tea Base)

Chai Tea Base:

4 cups water

1-2 star anise

1 tsp fennel seed
6 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
12 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks

12 peppercorns (I used white)
(1/4-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
black peppercorns

1 vanilla bean, split

2 heaping Tbsp black tea (I used an English Breakfast)

To Serve:

2 tsp vanilla extract

sweetener of choice to taste (I used about 2 tsp agave nectar)

"milk" of choice (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

Bring water and spices to a boil in a medium saucepan, boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot and steep spices for 10 minutes. Bring spice water back to just at a boil, add tea and simmer about 4 minutes. Strain and reserve chai tea base. (Store in fridge up to two weeks).

To serve add the chai tea base to your favorite cup or glass, (reheat if not using right away). Heat your milk or milk substitute of choice and add to cup, proportioning to taste (I use about 2/3 chai mix to 1/3 milk). Sweeten to taste with your natural sweetener of choice. (I usually use agave or honey). Enjoy!


Notes/Results: Lovely, vanilla goodness! Sweet, spicy and perfect for a cool afternoon or evening. The almond milk works well for chai as it makes it creamy and keeps it dairy-free. It is great as a dessert on its own but chai is perfect with a cookie or two--in this case Vegetarian Times vegan "The Heart-Healthiest Chocolate-Chip Cookies in the World." (Since they are delicious enough to deserve their own post, I'll be posting the cookies early next week). It takes your basic milk and cookies to a whole new (and pretty healthy!) level. I will be making this tea again.

Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow from Max and me! ;-)

(Yes, I was having a little too much fun with my photo-editing program!)