Chai Latte

Ingredients

Method

1. 01
   Toast the whole spices. Put the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and black peppercorns in a dry saucepan over medium heat. Stir for 30 to 40 seconds until the kitchen smells warm and spiced — not burning, just fragrant. This step releases aromatic oils from the spices before the water gets added and is worth doing every time. Lightly crack the cardamom pods against the counter before toasting so the seeds are exposed.
2. 02
   Simmer the spices. Add the water and fresh ginger to the saucepan with the toasted spices. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. The water should reduce slightly and darken, turning a warm amber-brown. The longer it simmers the more spice flavor extracts — but beyond 15 minutes the cloves and pepper can start tasting medicinal rather than warming.
3. 03
   Steep the tea. Turn off the heat. Add the tea bags or loose-leaf tea and push them under the surface. Cover the pan and let the tea steep for exactly 5 minutes. Do not steep longer — black tea becomes bitter after about 5 minutes and there is no fixing bitterness in a drink. Remove the tea bags. Add the sweetener and vanilla extract now, while the liquid is still hot enough to dissolve them. Stir and taste.
4. 04
   Strain and froth the milk. Pour the chai concentrate through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing on the spices to extract the last drops. Discard the solids. Heat the milk in a separate small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to steam and tiny bubbles form at the edges — around 65 to 70°C. Do not let it boil. Froth using a handheld milk frother for 20 to 30 seconds, or shake vigorously in a sealed jar for 15 seconds.
5. 05
   Assemble and serve. Divide the strained chai concentrate between two mugs, filling each about halfway. Pour the hot frothed milk over the top, holding back the foam with a spoon and spooning it over last. Dust with a pinch of ground cinnamon. Serve immediately. The concentrate alone keeps refrigerated for up to 7 days — just heat and add fresh frothed milk when you want a cup.

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