Gift Idea: Spicy Chocolate Chai

I simply adore chai. There used to be a cafe in Palmyra (my hometown and where my mom still lives) called The Phoenix Cafe. It was opened just for a brief time and offered delicious sandwiches on homemade bread and cafe drinks. He made the most delicious Chocolate Chai Latte and I haven't had anything that's tasted nearly as good in years.

I have seen several recipes online and in books for mason jar drink mixes. I found a decent chai mix recipe on All Recipes.com and changed up a tiny bit, altering spice amounts, deleting one ingredient and adding in cocoa powder.

This is delicious!

• 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant iced tea mix
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

In a large mixing bowl, add in the sugar. Slowly add in the vanilla and stir in with a fork, breaking up any wettened clumps. Add in remaining dry ingredients. Sift together.

Get out your food processor or blender and make into a fine powder, using one cup at a time of the dry ingredients.

Using a funnel, pour into 8 ounce mason jars. This makes 6 jars.

You can also use cello bags, securing with a ribbon.

To prepare drink: Boil water. Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons of mix to the water in a mug and stir. Delicious!