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? 

Zesty Zucchini Bread

If you have a garden and are growing zucchini, this is about the time of year you have them coming out your ears.  We have a handful of recipes using them, like Seeley’s zucchini fettuccini, my potato and zucchini pie, and quiche.  Today, however, I’m going for a more traditional option.  Everyone has had zucchini bread before, but this recipe is made with buttermilk and lots of spices so it’s moist, flavorful, and delicious. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 cups grated zucchini, room temperature

I know that looks like a long list of ingredients, but most of it is just spices… and speaking of spices, if you happen to have cardamom or mace in your cupboard, feel free to add ¼ teaspoon of either or both.  I just didn’t have any on hand.  I have since remedied the situation with a trip to Penzeys with my friend Elise Logan. 

Before you start with the ingredients, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350° and butter a 2 quart loaf pan. 

Then, into a bowl go all of the dry ingredients except the sugar.  (First 10 on the list)

Whisk that together so that everything is evenly distributed. 

In a separate mixing bowl, go the butter, oil, and sugar. 

Mix until it’s nice and smooth and creamy, then add the eggs and vanilla

Mix until the eggs are completely incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl at some point. 

Add the zucchini.

Stir that in and add the buttermilk.

Once that’s incorporated, add the flour mixture. 

Now that the flour is in, you don’t want to over mix, so just gently stir until the flour is barely incorporated. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. 

Level it out on top and place it onto a sheet pan before putting it in the oven.  Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes.  It should be nice and brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. 

After 20 minutes, remove the loaf from the pan and place it on a rack to cool. 

Allow it to cool completely (or nearly) before slicing.  Then inhale the aroma of all those fabulous spices and enjoy.  Spicy, sweet, moist, deliciousness. 

What's growing in your garden this year?