Doing the (Lowfat) Chai Chai

I’m so far from a tea drinker that I thought that Chai was a type of tea leaf, like green, black, and oolong. Boy, was I wonderfully, amazingly wrong! I wish someone had said to me a long time ago, “Jules, this is the most creamy, delicious tea treat you’ll ever have. Oh, and by the way? It’s packed with some of your favorite spices.” Had they, I wouldn’t have been missing out. Where have I been and how did I not know? So much for claiming I’m a foodie, I guess. I’m a no-goodie foodie

Tea, steeped in milk, and a heavenly combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.  A hint of brown sugar.  Warm, sweet, and dizzyingly aromatic, it had me captivated, clutching the mug and closing my eyes. I was so enamored I think I even posted something delirious on Facebook about it. My boys loved it as much as I did. Cinnamon is this family’s kryptonite, for sure.

So treat yourself to this winter warmer, filled with all those spices we associate with the holidays. Decaf or high-test. Cold or hot. Whatever you like. Then you’ll start doing the Chai Chai, like I did.

Lowfat Chai Tea
Makes 4 big mugs of tea

2 1/2 cups water
3 cups lowfat (1%) milk
8 tea bags (I used Lipton decaffeinated)
1/4 cup brown sugar (loose, not packed into measuring cup)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom ( entirely optional; great without as well)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, milk, sugar, and spices to a boil. Be careful not to let it boil over. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags and cover. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove each tea bag, squeezing out the liquid before discarding. If desired, pour the tea through a mesh strainer to remove the spice solids. Serve hot or cold.

Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days (At least, in theory – in my house, it’ll be long gone before then).