Iced Vanilla Chai Latte

We’ve been without air conditioning for a week, which has meant no cooking for me.  Hence, my late post.  Fortunately, it cooled down enough today, that I was able to stand in front of the stove long enough to brew some tea for this lovely iced chai latte.  It’s no wonder they’re so popular right now.  They’re definitely good for the soul.  Like my friend Melissa said, “Bad day?  Try one of these.” 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 cups water
• ¾ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon mace
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ cup tea leaves or 10-12 teabags
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla 

Now, if you’re a chai tea expert, you’ll know that my list of ingredients is far from traditional.  More commonly you’ll see things like star anise, black pepper, and ginger, but I don’t really care for those in my tea, thank you.  Use a combination of whatever your favorite spices are, and place them all together in a small dish. 

The tea is sort of the same thing.  I’m using a black tea from Teavana that comes in little balls, but you can use green tea, white tea, loose tea, teabags… whatever you prefer. 

Bring your water to a boil, then turn off the heat and add the sugar.  I used vanilla sugar and accidentally got a piece of a vanilla bean in with it, but not to worry, this will all be strained out. 

Add the spices. 

Stir them in and add the tea.  Just remember, if you’re using green or white tea, you’ll need to allow the water to cool to the proper temperature first. 

Allow it to steep for 3-4 minutes, and then pour it through a strainer. 

I thought it would be a good idea to line the strainer with a coffee filter, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t.  I guess the cinnamon was clogging the filter or something, because the tea simply wouldn’t drain.  So take it from me, just use a fine sieve.   

Add the vanilla

And the milk. 

Give it a quick stir, and you have a perfect iced vanilla chai latte.  (and it didn’t cost 5 bucks) Not to mention, there’s plenty to share or keep in the fridge for later. 

Pour it over plenty of ice, and enjoy. 

Ahhh, sweet, spicy, cool, refreshing, deliciousness.  Like I said, good for the soul. 

What do you indulge in when you’ve had a bad day? 

Comments

[Seeley deBorn]

Cardamom. You need cardamom in there. Also, if you use cinnamon bark, star anise, cardamom, etc straining isn't as much of an issue. ;)

[Taneasha]

Um... cardamom is in there. And yes, using the whole spices would definitely make straining easier, but I only had ground stuff for most of it. Although, what I usually do when I'm just making one glass at a time, is just put the tea and spices in a disposable teabag and pour the water over that. It works fabulously, and clean up is a breeze.

[Seeley deBorn]

um... Apparently my brain has switched to school mode and no longer reads, but only skims things. lol Yay cardamom. What are disposable teabags???

[Melissa]

It will brighten any day! :-D

[Taneasha]

Dude, if you're a tea drinker, you must get some disposable teabags. They're little bags made of filter paper. That way you can buy what ever kind of loose tea you like, and don't have to worry about straining it, plus you can use them for spices and whatever, as well.