Spiced Chai Concentrate Mix

First, I have to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that watched and enjoyed the Cookie Love! animation! It was a lot of fun, and I have to say thanks to Chris for helping out and doing the wonderful and amazing music for the animation!

Also, a few people were wondering what recipe I used for the cookies. I used the chocolate chip cookie recipe out of Vegan with a Vengeance. I did use carob chips for the cookies though.

So, here in the Northwest it is really starting to change seasons here, the weather outside feels brisk and it gets dark super early! Along with my notorious pumpkin spice anything addiction, I also feel the need to drink chai non stop.

Those concentrate mixes sure add up though at around $4-5 per box. So I decided to do some reading, and try my hand at making my own concentrate. The first batch was ok. I didn't have cardmom, and it was a bit on the bland side. I like my chai a bit spicy!

Here is what you will need:
(makes 6 cups concentrate, enough for about 12 cups of chai w/soy milk)

6 black tea bags
6 cups water
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp cloves
3/4 tsp cardamom
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp agave nectar

Start by bringing your water to a boil and steep the tea bags for a few minutes. Keep the water on medium low heat. Add your spices and the agave nectar, and for the next 20 minutes, keep an eye on your mix, making sure to stir it several times a minute. It should start to thicken up a little bit. I did however take my tea bags out after maybe 10 minutes.

After you have cooked the concentrate for 20 minutes, take a fine mesh strainer to get out all of the spice gunk, so you will only be drinking the delicious chai you have been working so hard for.

Pour your mixture into a larger container, and now, add the vanilla to the mix. Refrigerate. And enjoy whenever you want! Just mix 1/2 of the chai with 1/2 of your fav non-dairy milk, drink it cold or hot, either way, it tastes great.

Spice Tip: buy a little bit of the cardamom from your bulk section. You only need a little bit for each batch, and I think a jar of cardamom sells for around $15!! crazy, right? So buy bulk to save even more money.

Also, if you are thinking about leaving out the cardamom, thats ok. I made my first batch without it too, and it tasted pretty good. Adding the cardamom really brings home the true chai flavor though, it is hard to explain without having your very own personal taste test. But experiment, and adjust to your taste!

One more thing, even though this takes a bit of time, it smells amazing while you are making it, and makes the whole house smell wonderful and cozy, perfect for the fall.