Chai Latte

This version is excellent - toasting the spices might be what makes the difference!

• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 10 whole cloves
• 6 green cardamom pods, cracked
• 4 cups water
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea, or 6 black tea bags
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups cold whole (or 2 %) milk  
• NB: I used a 2:1 tea:milk ratio and I stored the finished spiced tea mixture in a jar and just added milk as single servings. It's still good a few weeks later.

Toast the spices. 

• Place the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom in a small saucepan over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Brew the tea. 

• Add the water and ginger and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Steep the tea. Remove from the heat and add the loose-leaf tea or tea bags. Cover and steep for 10 minutes.

Sweeten the tea. 

• While the tea is still warm, add the sweetener and stir until combined or dissolved.

Strain the tea. 

• Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or teapot. Discard the spices and tea leaves. Store in the refrigerator for future use, or keep it warm while you froth the milk.

Froth the milk. (One of these days I'll try this. I'm sure it's delicious!)

• For whole milk, froth the milk by shaking it in a jar or by whisking it vigorously over medium-high heat. For non-dairy milks, use an immersion blender to froth before heating.

The original recipe has sweetener and milk options