Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte Concentrate

 

You remember my recipe for Homemade Chai Tea that was inspired by my daughter Kayla’s short stint in India a few years back?

All I’ve heard about of late is the craze over Pumpkin Lattes since fall has hit and I received a new inspiration to come up with a homemade Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte over the weekend.

But since slow-simmering a pot of steaming milk and spices isn’t really work-week friendly for me, I decided to try to make a concentrate solution that could easily be added to a steaming hot cup of milk throughout the work week.

And by jove, I think I’ve got it.

The process is similar to making Chai Tea in a pot on the stove.

T start out, you’ll need a medium saucepan with four cups of water. Add in a cup of brown sugar. Stir it over medium heat until the sugar melts, stirring it with a whisk.

Turn the heat down to simmer. Then add in some spices.

Add in two whole cinnamon sticks.

Also, roughly smash 12 peppercorns.


Add in 3 star anise pods.

I think they look a little like a creepy spider don’t you?

Shudder.

Add in 12 whole cloves.

I like a really spiced-up chai latte. When it comes to drinks, give me boldness and flavor.

Also add in a chunk of ginger, about the size of your thumb. My ginger was ornery and didn’t photograph well, as do all yellow items I try to photograph. If you truly love the ginger flavor, cut it up into 3-4 pieces to make it stronger.

These are cardamom pods.

They have tiny little black seeds inside. I find them whole at a place here in Oklahoma City called Spices of India. If you can’t find them whole, but you can find the seeds, use about 1/8-1/4 of a teaspoon. I give about 8 pods a whack to open them up.

Add in ¾ cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, which is evil, and bad).

Stir the spices up a bit and let the pot simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove it from the heat and add your tea.
Take ten black tea bags and wrap them around the handle of the pot (to keep them from falling in completely) and submerge them in the water.

After 10 minutes, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and into a large mason jar.

Let the concentrate cool for an hour then stir in one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

To serve, mix one part of the concentrate with one part of steamed milk (coconut and almond milk are both delicious). Serve it hot or cold over ice. I would also probably heat the concentrate with the milk and right now, because it’s autumn, piping hot sounds perfectly wonderful.

If you’re feeling a little bit naughty, add some frothed milk or even some whipped cream.

This is the perfect hot drink for a cool fall day.

But, how about this? For summer, try adding the base to ice-cube trays and freeze them. Pop out three or four and then pour over some milk, coconut or almond milk. Delicious!!

Enjoy!

Look what other fabulous food bloggers made this week using pumpkin for Food Network’s Fall Fest!

The Hungry Traveler: Pumpkin Brown Butter Madeleines
Bacon and Souffle: Pumpkin Lasagna with Sausage, Kale and Parmesan
Homemade Delish: Warm Pumpkin Salad
Creative Culinary: Pumpkin Butter
The Lemon Bowl: 20 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Weelicious: Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
Virtually Homemade: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
TasteBook: Creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Dishin & Dishes: Homemade Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte Concentrate
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes
Red or Green: Spiced Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bars
The Heritage Cook: Roasted Pumpkin, Potato, and Sage (Gluten-Free)
Swing Eats: Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Taste with the Eyes: Sultry Pumpkin Soup – Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill
FN Dish: 8 Ways to Eat Pumpkin All Day Long