Chocolate Chai Food

CHOCOLATE CHAI TEA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Cover and steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags.
• Stir in sugar and cocoa. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add milk, vanilla, spices and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is heated through, about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Strain, if desired. Pour into warm mugs. Garnish each with whipping cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired.

CHOCOLATE CHAI MINI LOAVES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Grease bottoms only of 3 (5 1/2x3-inch) mini loaf pans; set aside.
• Combine water and baking chocolate in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted.
• Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
• Combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy.
• Add chocolate mixture and sour cream. Continue beating until well mixed.
• Reduce speed to low; add all remaining bread ingredients. Beat until mixture is smooth.
• Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.
• Combine all glaze ingredients except milk in small bowl. Beat at medium speed, adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Glaze cooled bread.
• * You may substitute this spice blend for the chai tea latte mix. Combine 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves in a small bowl. Use 2 1/4 teaspoons in the bread and 1 teaspoon in the glaze.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHAI COOKIES

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan and add the tea bags and 1 cup sugar. Simmer 3 minutes, then remove and discard the tea bags (to keep the syrup from getting too bitter). Boil the tea until reduced to a syrup, about 10 minutes. You should have about 1/3 to 1/2 cup tea syrup. Let cool completely.
• Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, allspice, cardamom, cloves, pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup tea syrup, then the egg and vanilla, until smooth. (Reserve the remaining tea syrup for another use; see Cook's Note.) Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and form into two 7-by-2-inch logs. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Slice the logs into rounds about 1/3-inch thick, discarding the very end pieces. Arrange on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Bake the cookies, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and light golden on the edges, 14 to 16 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on racks.
• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in a microwave on 50 percent power, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate into a sandwich-size resealable plastic bag and snip a tiny piece off one corner with scissors. Drizzle the chocolate in a zigzag pattern over the cookies. Let the chocolate harden before serving.

CHAI CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Combine the heavy cream and tea bags in a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and warm gently, stirring occasionally, until bubbles just start to form around the edges of the cream, about 5 minutes. Simmer 3 minutes more and then turn off the heat.
• Place the chopped chocolate and salt in a medium bowl. Strain the hot cream mixture through a fine-mesh strainer over the chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk the now-melted chocolate into the cream, starting with small circles in the center of the bowl and moving into larger circles as the mixture begins to come together; stop when smooth and completely blended. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the ganache and refrigerate for about 3 hours, or until just set and cold but still pliable.
• Place the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl. With a 1-ounce scoop, scoop level rounds of the ganache into your palm and gently roll into a ball. Roll the truffles in the cocoa powder to coat, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, sift a touch of gold dust, if using, over the top of the truffles for sparkle.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHAI (SPONSORED)

Steps:

• Place Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Drink in large mug; stir in milk. Add tea bag and let sit for 1 minute. If you don't have a chai tea bag, stir in 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

CHOCOLATE CHAI MILKSHAKE

Steps:

• In a saucepot on medium-low heat, steep the milk with the nutmeg, cardamom, fennel seed, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and black peppercorns until the milk is fragrant, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to break the milk film or "skin" on the top. Strain and discard the solids. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• In a blender add the ice cream, 1 cup strained milk and chocolate syrup. Blend until smooth. Divide mixture evenly among 4 glasses and serve.

CHOCOLATE CHAI TEA COGNAC

Steps:

• Special equipment: Chocolate Shot Glasses
• Shake the cognac and tea together in cocktail shaker with ice. Add cream. Shake and serve in Chocolate Shot Glasses. Add cinnamon stick for garnish.

CHAI HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat cream and tea bags over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan (do not boil). Remove from the heat; steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags; whisk in the chocolates, vanilla and salt until smooth. Return to the heat; cook and stir until heated through. Pour into mugs; top with whipped cream and cinnamon sticks.

CHOCOLATE CHAI

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the tea bag, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the tea bag and stir in the sugar and cocoa. Return to the stove over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Mix in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Heat through but do not boil. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick garnish.

CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDING

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a large bowl with a generous pinch of sea salt and whisk to combine. Cover with cling film then leave to thicken in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Spoon the pudding into four glasses, then top with the frozen berries and cacao nibs.

CHOCOLATE CHAI SNICKERDOODLES

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350°F.
• In large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and spices; set 1/2 cup of the mixture aside.
• Add butter to mixing bowl and cream with sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in cocoa powder, followed by the eggs and vanilla.
• Stir in flour and baking powder by hand or at low speed.
• Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in reserved sugar mixture.
• Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are firm.
• Cool on wire rack and store in an airtight container.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHAI LATTE

Steps:

• Put all ingredients except the white chocolate in a blender and mix on high.
• Pour mixture into a sauce pan, add white chocolate, bring to a slight simmer and simmer for 4 minutes.
• Put hot mixture back into blender, blend again on high until creamy.
• Strain through a sieve.
• Serve hot.
• Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHAI SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
• Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine.
• Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
• Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
• Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
• Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
• Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
• Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
• Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger. Beat until combined.
• Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.
• Assemble cooled cupcakes.