Summer Treat: Chilled Milk with Chai Tea Ice Cubes

Article by: via Kitchn.com by willcookforfriends.com

Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups (gluten-free, easily made vegan)

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 3-4 whole cloves
• 4-5 whole black peppercorns
• 4-5 cardamom pods, cracked
• 2-3 thin shavings of fresh ginger root (I used a vegetable peeler)
• 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP turbinado sugar (or sucanat, or light brown sugar)
• 3-4 TBSP loose leaf black tea (or 4-5 tea bags)

For serving: 4-5 cups whole milk (or your favorite vegan alternative – coconut would be nice!)

Steps

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, whole spices, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from the heat. Let steep anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on how strong you like the spices to be.
2. Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Add the tea, remove from the heat, and let steep for another  5-7 minutes.
3. Strain out the tea and spices. If you’d like to make a regular batch of chai, add the milk and serve immediately. To make the chai iced tea cubes, let the mixture cool, then pour into an ice-cube tray and freeze.
4. To make an iced chai latte, add 2-3 ice cubes to a glass of milk (about 1/4 cup of milk per cube). The tea will get stronger the longer it sits and the more the ice cubes melt. Garnish with a dash of cinnamon, and enjoy!