Home Made Chai Tea Latte
In the middle of Winter, there is nothing more warming then a nice hot drink, and when you can make a warming drink in the comfort of your own home, it could be the perfect thing to warm and brighten your day!
One of my favourite winter drinks is a Chai Tea Latte, but I am very fussy about the mix of spices and the way I like to drink it. So here is a very general way of making your own Chai Tea Latte at home to your personal liking.
Ingredients:
Cinnamon Sticks Cardamom Cloves
Nutmeg Star Anise
Your choice of milk
Optional: Honey, black tea
Method:
- As this is a home-made recipe the method is very loose. The best thing to do here is trial and error. Everyone has a different taste preference and something with as many strong spices and flavours as Chai will have a different portion of each ingredient according to each person. For example, I love all things cinnamon so I make sure to put lots of cinnamon sticks in my Chai and less Nutmeg.
- Once you have the amounts of each spice you want, crush the spices using a mortar and pestle. Do not grind them down but just lightly crush them ensuring the Cardamom pods split and the smells of the spices are released. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle I recommend using a chopping board and a rolling pin. Crushing the spices with the rolling pin or any other heavy object will be just as effective as a mortar and pestle.
- Pour your choice of milk into a saucepan (generally 1 ½ cups per person). Add all your spices to the milk and put on a low heat, making sure to stir every 90 seconds. Do not let your mixture boil! You will be able to tell when it is ready by the smell of your spices. If you’re not sure, taste test with a spoon ensuring the milk is warm enough for you.
- Once the mixture has heated, pour into a tea pot with inbuilt tea diffuser (strainer) and allow to sit until mixture is at the strength that suits you.
- To sweeten the mixture, add a small amount of honey to each cup when serving. Personally, I love to add cinnamon honey to just give it that extra kick. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top or flourish with a small dollop of cream and you are all ready to serve and enjoy on those cold winter nights.
