Spiced Vanilla Chai Food

WARM SPICED CHAI

Steps:

• In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, combine cardamom pods and peppercorns; grind until aromas are released., In a large saucepan, bring water to boil. Add cardamom mixture, honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and ginger; simmer 5 minutes or according to taste. Remove from heat. Add tea bags; cover and steep 5 minutes., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat milk. Strain tea, discarding spices and tea bags. Stir in hot milk and vanilla. Pour into mugs. If desired, sprinkle with nutmeg.

SPICED VANILLA CHAI CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and fitting a wax or parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Place the chai tea bag into a mason jar. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the whole milk, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. Pour the boiling milk over the chai tea bag in the mason jar and let steep for 20 minutes before removing the tea bag. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature before moving on.
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, 4 teaspoons of the chai spice mix, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the (room temperature!) chai milk mixture slowly and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it's creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
• Whisk 1 Tbsp of the Chai Spice Mix into the measured powdered sugar. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
• Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated.
• Once the Vanilla Chai Cakes have cooled completely, fill and frost the layers with Vanilla Chai Buttercream. To create the design pictured, add crushed Speculoos Cookies to the sides of the cake by placing them into the palm of your hand and gently pressing them onto the buttercream finish. Then, fit one piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B and another piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M before filling each with Vanilla Chai Buttercream. Pipe rosettes and stars onto the top of the cake in a crescent moon shape, add some cinnamon sticks, and sprinkle more crushed Speculoos Cookies on top.

VANILLA CHAI TEA

Steps:

• Place the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. With end of a wooden spoon handle, crush mixture until aromas are released. Add tea bags, honey and boiling water; steep, covered, 6 minutes., In a small saucepan, heat milk. Strain tea into a heatproof pitcher; stir in milk and vanilla., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Top servings with whipped cream; sprinkle with allspice.

SPICED VANILLA CHAI

Steps:

• Crush the black pepper, ginger root, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and cloves together.
• Pour 8 cups of water into a saucepan and add the crushed spices and tea bags (or loose tea), along with the seeds from the vanilla pod.
• Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for up 10 minutes.
• Strain the chai to remove the spices and prevent the tea becoming too strong. Serve in cups and sweeten with honey if desired.

CHAI SPICED VANILLA SUGAR

Steps:

• Combine all of the spices in a cast iron pan. Turn the heat to medium and stir the spices until you smell their beautiful oils filling the air.
• Remove spices from pan just as they start to crackle. Transfer to a mortar and pestle.
• Grind spices roughly, not worrying about getting it perfect, just break open the toasted spices. This will release an overwhelming smell of wonderfullness.
• Put the sugar in a large bowl and spritz/sprinkle the vanilla, stirring until the sugar is evenly light brown from the vanilla. It will combine if you stir it enough.
• Mix the spices with the vanilla sugar and leave the bowl uncovered overnight.
• The next day, the vanilla will be dry and sugar will have become like a hardened sand castle. Scrap at it and break it up until it is smooth.
• Cover the sugar bowl and leave overnight.
• The next day, sieve through a screen.
• Store your delicious Chai Vanilla Spiced Sugar in an airtight container. It will keep for several weeks. Great in earl gray tea, cinnamon buns, on toast with butter, you name it, it's great.
• Please Enjoy!

SPICED CHAI MIX

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine all dry ingredients; cover and process until powdery. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months., To prepare 1 serving: Dissolve 3 tablespoons mix in 3/4 cup of boiling water; stir well. Dollop with whipped cream if desired.