Spiced Anise Tea Food

SPICED HOLIDAY TEA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan bring water to boiling.
• Add tea bags, anise, and cinnamon stick.
• Reduce heat. simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and cinnamon stick. Stir in nectar, honey, and lemon juice. Heat through.
• 2. Pour tea mixture into four heat-proof cups, floating a star anise on top of each. Makes 4 servings.

SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE WITH TEA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat water to a boil. Drop in tea leaves, turn off heat, and steep for about 5 minutes. Strain tea back into pan and add star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, and heavy cream. Heat over medium heat until cream scalds, watching carefully so that cream does not spill over.
• Put chocolate in a medium bowl. Strain hot cream mixture into bowl with chocolate. Add vanilla and whisk until chocolate is melted. Transfer to mugs and serve warm or chilled.
• *Cook's Note: The spices may be increased, to taste, if your preference is spicier.

HOT SPICED CIDER TEA

Steps:

• Lightly crush the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle or on a cutting board with the bottom of a saucepan.
• Transfer the spices to a medium saucepan, add the ginger, star anise and citrus peels. Add the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until aromatic, and the cinnamon stick opens a little, about 10 minutes.
• Add the tea bags to the pan and immediately remove from the heat. Set aside to steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and add the apple juice and orange juice. Return the pan to a medium heat and warm, taking care not to let the tea boil.
• Strain and serve hot.

SPICED MILK TEA (MASALA CHAI)

Steps:

• Grind together cardamom, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and fennel seeds with mortar and pestle or coffee/spice grinder.
• Bring milk just to a simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir or whisk in brown sugar, ground spice mixture, ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes to infuse flavors.
• Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, add tea, and boil 1 minute.
• Pour tea through a fine-mesh sieve into hot milk mixture (discard tea leaves) and cook over low heat 1 minute. Stir before serving.

SPICED THAI ICED TEA

Steps:

• Place water, sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick, and cardamom in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let tea steep and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Remove tea bags and strain out whole spices; discard. Whisk in condensed milk. Pour into a large pitcher and refrigerate until flavors combine, at least 1 hour.
• Fill 4 glasses with ice. Serve tea over ice.