– Looking for a cool kiss of sweet tea on a hot day? –
Given the temperatures lately, I’m leaning towards any beverage with the word “iced” in it – especially this chai iced tea. Anyone who’s ever sat down to enjoy an iced tea on a hot day knows exactly how refreshing this classic drink is. The same goes for a hot cup of chai, which, it just so happens, finds a new lease on life when poured over ice with a little milk to float the spicy, ethereal flavors across your palate.
I’m a huge chai fan. There’s something about combining the playful flavors of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves that excites me, and on a hot day, an iced chai tea latte is just about the best thing ever. I’ve had many a cranky, sweaty afternoon saved by a few chilly sips. It’s like someone drop-shipped an air conditioner right into the middle of my heart.
This lovely summer chai iced tea is kissed with honey and mellow spice. It’s the perfect pick-me-up for those days when the heat feels oppressive and you just can’t seem to muster the energy to carry through the afternoon. You can easily make this dish to suit any diet, changing out the half & half for coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, or any combination thereof. I’ve opted for honey here, to make it more natural, but you can certainly add a equal amount of sugar instead. A dollop of coconut cream floating across the top takes it over the top.
Sweet Chai Iced Tea Latte
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 vanilla bean sliced open lengthwise
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1/2-inch knob fresh ginger chopped coarsely
- 1 whole star anise
- 2 whole cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 6 whole black peppercorns cracked
- 1 pinch cumin seeds
- 4 black or green tea bags
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 pinch salt
- Ice
- half & half to taste
Instructions
- Bring water to boil over medium heat. Add vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, ginger, star anise, cardamom pod, cloves, peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Boil spices for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and strain out spices.
- Return pot to low heat. Add tea bags and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, removing tea bags before the tea turns bitter. Add honey and a pinch of salt, stirring to make sure honey is entirely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Fill four glasses with ice, then add tea so that the glasses are 3/4 full. Top off remainder of glass with half and half. Stir gently, and enjoy.
Nutrition
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.