Chai Latte 2.06 Presenting Lorelai Gilmore

“Ooh, I gotta say, this isn't like the chai lattes in Boston.” “Yeah, well, expecting Luke to make a chai anything was completely insane.” “Yeah, I'm pretty sure he just threw a cinnamon stick in some tea.” “I'm pretty sure it's not a cinnamon stick.” “Okay, throwing this out now.” “So chai latte, when did that happen?” “I don't know. Everyone at work drinks them.”

Ingredients: 

• 1 star anise

• 4 whole cloves

• 5 cardamom pods (or seeds if you want a cheaper option)

• 3 peppercorns

• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 tsp black tea leaves or the contents of 2 tea bags of black tea. 

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• ⅔ cup water

• ⅔ cup half and half or whole milk

• Ground cinnamon to serve

Directions: 

1. Grind the star anise, cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. If you don’t have either of these kitchen utensils, it’s okay, you can skip this step. 

2. Add the ground spices, ginger, cinnamon stick, black tea, brown sugar, and water to a small saucepan and place over medium high heat. 

3. Stir to combine the ingredients and dissolve the sugar then bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes and reduce by half. 

4. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the chai concentrate to steep for 5-10 minutes. 

5. Meanwhile, warm the half and half or milk, depending on your preference, by adding to another small saucepan and placing over medium low heat. 

6. Warm the milk for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and use a milk frother to froth and create a foam. 

7. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the solids from the chai then add the concentrate to your mug of choice. 

8. Pour the warm and frothy milk over the chai. You may have to use a spoon to add the foam on top. 

9. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top before enjoying.

This was a fun fall drink to make! I loved learning about different spices used in chai recipes, and enjoyed coming up with my own combination. This drink is a great alternative if you don’t drink coffee, but still want some caffeine in your warm, fall beverage. I know Luke doesn’t make a chai latte, but I definitely think Weston’s or Sookie would!

Happy cooking from the Hollow!

Catch up on my last encore dish here!