Spicy Chai Latte

I spend most of my weekdays at the computer. I sit next to a window that faces west, so on a clear night like today, I take a break from studying to watch the sun dip below the horizon, leaving behind purple, pink and orange streaks across the cerulean sky. It’s a little different every night as the clouds dabble with the dramatic effect of shadows and light. I catch the show around 5pm and its definitely a highlight of my day.

So far, this month has been odd. The air is nippy with a bitter chill in the gusty winds, and then just as you’re about to complain that winter ain’t too far away, the weathergods tease you with remarkably sunny and warm temperatures. So warm in fact, I can leave the house with just two layers and a scarf tied loosely around my neck. It’s November people! Then there are some days when it’s miserable and gloomy outside, water droplets pitter patter on the window and on the street, people dash for cover, escaping the rain that failed to give any warning whatsoever.

On these cold yucky days I pile on layers of cotton pajamas and furry socks and a thick sweatshirt just to stay warm. I also saunter to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee topped with frothy milk, then, last week it struck me that I have yet to make some chai. Tea spiked with ginger, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns and cinnamon, a combination sure to warm my toes. A while ago, I made an apple crumble and had planned to make some chai tea using the same spices but I never got around to it since I was distracted by a birthday every week.

  

I’ve made homemade chai before yet I could never find the right ratio of spices that I enjoyed. Like Goldilocks, I found the chai too bland, too watery, lacked that kick, or just didn’t taste right. Chai to me (the way I like it and not necessary how it is made traditionally) should be based on a deep earthy flavour from the black tea, then layered with homey spices that commingle to tickle every nerve in your body.

Sometime last week, bundled in my pajamas, I was prompted to turn on the kettle and pull out the necessary spices from my pantry. The whole process took no more than 20 minutes: I bashed the spice mixture, tossed them into the saucepan along with hot milk and let them steep. Before long, I held a steaming mug of chai in my hands, satisfied with the tea, the blend of spices, and the touch of sweetness from the honey. No amount of rain falling from murky clouds could bother me and I promise this chai is sure to enliven your senses too.

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Recipe here!

Chai-Spiced Apple Crumble

In my undergrad years, my roomie and I lived on the Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice herb tea. It was caffeine free, ergo, bedtime beverage approved. We went through a box in just a week, infusing our breaths with the comforting, homey scents of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom. It’s a surprise we didn’t empty the box sooner, since Montreal winters are famous for plummeting to -40°C. 

 

I was inspired with the idea of a chai spiced dessert using the bounty of apples this fall. But I’m not too keen on warm fruit. Warm pies make me cringe. Grilled pineapples make me shudder. Hot crepes with soft banana slices make me gag. There’s something about the texture of cooked fruit that I have major issues with, I prefer eating fruit plain and cold.

I can’t say I never cook with fruit, since I like to showcase the best of what the season has to offer. If I do bake with fruit, I make sure that the dessert is served at room temperature, like this blueberry galette or this peach clafouti.

But I digress. This apple crumble goes beyond the usual addition of cinnamon in the crumble mixture. Here, a flurry of other ground spices joined the oat-crumble topping: ginger, cloves, and cardamom, similar flavourings as the Bengal Spice tea. When I massaged butter into pea-sized bits with the rolled oats, puffs of flour filled the air, tickling my nose with the spices. I chopped up apples, tossed in sugar and cornstarch (to help thicken the sauce), dumped the crumble mixture on top and baked it at 425°F. In half an hour, my nose was more than just tickled; it was seduced with the sweet perfume of apples and spices.   

The pan bubbled and squeaked with hot fruit juices as I pulled it out of the oven. I waited impatiently for it to cool, but unfortunately, the apples turned out too syrupy sweet (from excess of sugar, but Eureka! Apple crumble dolloped on plain yogurt makes a superb breakfast!). On the bright side, the topping transformed into beautiful crunchy, nubby bits of gold, the pungent mix of spices hugged the apples in all the right places, giving it that exotic zing, that hit of something different other than the old stand by of cinnamon and apples. 

I wonder if I make crumble only for the topping, which I could eat all day long, especially if it’s spiked with chai--I just couldn’t refuse.

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Recipe here!