Chai Tea Concentrate

In today's ever-expanding market for overpriced coffee and energy drinks, the perfect pick-me-up is a balance of taste and caffeine. Some people require their daily fix from a Ginormous Triple Caramel Crapafrappacino with extra whip.  Others are fine drinking the watery sludge that comes out of the office drip coffee machine. For me, it's a nice periodic boost from a creamy, spicy chai tea latte.  You see, I have a funny relationship with caffeine. I avoid caffeinated coffee at all times, since it tends to make my head spin and my heart feel funny. I can't even take headache medication with caffeine in it because it makes my heart race. However, on those days that I need to find a little energy boost, I discovered one drink that always has the perfect effect: chai Tea Latte. Around the house, it has become a little bit of a joke. All it takes is one $4 cup of my "performance enhancing drugs" and I become a whirlwind of focus and energy. I use its effects to help me clean the house, organize my office, and accomplish other tedious household tasks.  What this effect says about my neurochemistry can be up for debate among my friends.

As for taste, I guess I first fell in love with chai tea while getting my undergraduate degree. I found a small coffee shop on campus that had the creamiest, most delicious chai tea that I had ever tasted. I also became enamored by the idea of making my own after visiting an Indian friend one winter break. Now, almost 10 years later (geez, has it been that long already?!) and many trips to Starbucks I decided to go ahead and make my own. The result was a quick and easy chai tea concentrate that is as delicious (if not more so) than Starbucks.

Chai Tea Concentrate
Yields: 4 cups of concentrate, making about 8 cups of latte
Ingredients:
12 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
8 whole black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks (use one less if you have really large sticks)
2 star anise
2 tablespoons of brown sugar, or more to taste
4 inch chunk of fresh ginger (or enough that would equal about 4 inches)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups of water
8 black teabags

Directions:
Place all of the spices and the water in a pot. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn to medium-high to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the teabags in the water to seep for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the liquid, discarding the solids. Allow to cool to room temperature before placing in an air tight container. This can be refrigerated and saved for up to a week.

To make a chai tea latte, add equal parts concentrate and milk. It is good for both iced and heated drinks. I also like to add a drop of vanilla extract to mine. Optionally you could instead add a whole vanilla bean to the cooking process to add the vanilla flavor. To make a fancy latte, add a bit of foamed milk to the top of the drink.

Adapted from: gimme some oven

Cherry Supreme Crepes

Every week my husband and I celebrate "Pancake Sunday". As you can imagine, we do so by making pancakes every Sunday. Although it sounds a little silly, it is actually a continuation of a tradition followed by my husband's grandparents as he grew up. After working hard all week, Sunday was the morning when they would slow down and have some time together. Likewise, this is a tradition that we decided to include in our own household, and it has come to be a small something special that we look forward to.

This particular Pancake Sunday idea came from a friend of mine. Crepes, or "french pancakes", have been a family favorite of my own since I was younger. I first tried a real crepe during a wine festival in Germany as a teen. It was an incredible process - the delicate cake must be spread as thin as possible, flipped (without tearing...) to cook both sides, and have the heat set just so. Needless to say, it took me a few tries to get right. The cherry sauce was of particular interest to my friend. If cherries aren't your thing, you could easily make the sauce recipe below with your favorite fruit, or just cover the crepes with maple syrup or Nutella. It all depends on your tastes.

Cherry "Supreme" Crepes
Yields: 9 crepes
Ingredients:
Crepes:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
oil, butter, or cooking spray

Sauce:
2 cups pitted fresh cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Directions:
To make the crepes, sift the flour once, and then sift again with the salt, baking powder, and powdered sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, water, and vanilla. Make a well in the sifted ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix together with a few swift strokes, but leave somewhat lumpy. Heat a small, non-stick skillet (I used a small, well seasoned cast iron) and grease with a few drops of oil or some cooking spray. Add about 1/3 cup of batter to the skillet, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. cook over moderate heat until bubbles start to form in the crepe. Flip gingerly, and allow both sides to cook to a golden brown color. Be sure to reapply the oil/butter/cooking spray after each crepe for it to cook properly.

To make the sauce, heat the pitted cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries release some of their juices. This juice will simmer and thicken slightly. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and pour it into the mixture. Allow the sauce to boil, and then remove from heat. Keep the mixture warm. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

To prepare the crepes, add the cherry mixture in a line in the bottom half of the crepe, and then roll. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar and serve.