Iced Almond Chai

Iced Almond Chai

Cool down on a hot day with delicious chilled chai. This spiced tea is a South Asian delicacy that combines herbal chai and rich Indian spices like cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Making your own instead of relying on chai concentrate is a great way to cut down on sugar. Consuming sugary drinks contributes to weight gain, which has been linked to colon cancer and probably to cancers of the pancreas, endometrium and postmenopausal breast cancer.

Ingredients:

3 green cardamom pods, cracked
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1/2 tsp. anise seed
1 tsp. black peppercorns
3 cups cold water
3 black teabags
3 chai teabags with black tea
3 cups boiling water
1 1/3 cups unsweetened almond milk, chilled
8 tsp. honey - preferably raw organic honey*

(As always, for the very healthiest versions of any recipe choose organic content as much as possible.)

Instructions:

1. For the chai, combine the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, anise, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Add the water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Off the heat, add the black teabags, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags, squeezing them well. Add the honey and stir until mixed well*. Pour the chai into a heat-proof jar and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Strain the chai when ready to use, and discard the spices.

2. For ice cubes, in a heatproof measuring cup, pour the boiling water over the 3 chai tea bags and steep for 10 minutes. Divide the tea between two ice cube trays and cool to room temperature, then freeze into cubes.

3. To serve, place 6 chai ice cubes in each of four 12-ounce glasses. Pour in 1/2 cup of the strained, chilled chai. Add 1/3 cup almond milk.

*For less calories and less natural sugar content, forego the honey and sweeten to taste after the Chai has been made with healthy Stevia

Makes 4 servings, 4 cups.

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