Chai Tea

This spiced aromatic tea is wonderful on a cold winter day. All the spices in it are warming. If you crush the cloves and cardamom a little in a mortar and pestle, they will release more flavor, but be careful not to grind them into a powder. The tea is strained of its spices, and if they are ground to fine some sediment will remain and may be unpleasant to drink. This tea is traditionally made with milk, however it is delicious without the milk. You can also use soy milk, as I do. If you don't have star anise or fennel seeds just leave them out, they are not part of the traditional recipe, they are my twist on it.

4 cups water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoon black pepper corns
2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced, you don't have to peel it
3 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise pods
2 tea bags, such as Darjeeling, black or oolong
½ cup sugar or maple syrup

In a sauce pan pour the water, and add sugar, all the spices and the tea bags.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes

Turn off heat, remove tea bags, and continue to steep the spices 10 minutes

Pour the tea through a strainer into a heat proof pitcher or an 8 cup glass measuring cup.

Pour in milk and serve hot or put it in the refrigerator to chill and serve it cold.

* Jennifer Columbo is a chef of natural cuisine and owner of the private cooking party and catering business, Naturally Jeni.