Chai Tea

Isn't it nice when a little bit of effort goes a long way.  This was the case for me recently when I rather spontaneously decided to support a charity which I just felt good about.  I held a High Tea for Hamlin.  Put simply I organised an afternoon tea with a lovely bunch of beautiful women to raise money and most of all awareness for women in Ethiopia suffering from Obstetric Fistulas. 

The organisation involved is the Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia which supports the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and the Hamlin College of Midwives.  These were co-founded by Dr Catherine Hamlin AC an Australian obstetrician-gynaecologist in the 1950’s and her great work has treated more than 40,000 women with more than 90% of them cured.

Chai Tea for a High Tea

And the high tea was a success.  My lovely family and friends brought along their favourite afternoon tea delicacy along with the recipe to share.  With a few bunches of flowers, pretty tea cups, French café background music and most importantly great company it was a rather relaxing afternoon.

Along with traditional teas I decided to brew a Thermomix pot of Chai Tea.  My own blend which I’m rather enjoying.  It’s even taken over a morning coffee on most days!  This can be brewed in a teapot or latte style with your choice of milk.  While most people find the flavours enough in this chai you can sweeten with a little honey if desired. 

For more details on the work of Dr Catherine Hamlin and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia see: http://hamlin.org.au

Chai Latte in the Thermomix

Chai Tea blend

1 tsp cardamom pods

1 cinnamon sticks broken up roughly

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns

3 Star anise

1 Vanilla pod

1 tsp ground ginger

20g large loose leaf tea

·        Place the cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and vanilla pod in Thermomix bowl and roughly chop by pressing the Turbo button about 5 times.  Make sure it’s not too fine so it will still be caught in your tea strainer.

·        Add the tea and ginger and combine for a few seconds on speed 4

·        Store into an air tight container

To brew Chai Latte for 2:

• Add 2 heaped teaspoons of Chai Tea mix into Thermomix bowl
• Add 300g water and 300g of your chosen milk (almond milk is rather nice)
• Heat for 5 minutes on speed 2 at 70⁰
• To froth the milk a little blend for 30 seconds on speed 4
• Pour through a strainer into your favourite tea cups and enjoy!

Chai Spiced Hot Cross Buns

I love Chai in any form and I love home made Hot Cross Buns.  So what better marriage than Chai spiced hot cross buns.  My favourite is a Chai Spice mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom.  In fact just like variations of chai you can play around with the spices (freshly ground is best) and I’ve even infused the warm milk with some leaf chai tea.

Chai Spiced Hot Cross Buns

I use the Everyday Cookbook version of Hot Cross Buns as a base and reduce the sugar to about 10g of rapadura making them a great snack for the kids.  And there's plenty of other variations to try.  With or without citrus, a handful of cocoa nibs, a hint of espresso, wholemeal, with or without crosses...    All delightful and hard to resist straight from the oven with homemade butter of course.

And these are so delicious you'll want to make them all year round so just omit the cross and you won't feel guilty a bit.
 

 

Easter is early this year so what are you waiting for? Start baking!

Chai Spiced Hot Cross Buns

250g milk

70g unsalted butter

10g rapadura sugar

1 free range egg

½ tsp salt

10g dry yeast

100g wholemeal bakers flour

400g bakers flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cardamom

80g sultanas

70g currants

• Place milk into Thermomix bowl and heat for 1 minute at 90° on speed 1
 
• Add butter and sugar and mix for 10 seconds on speed 2
 
• Place remaining ingredients excluding sultanas and currants and knead for 2 minutes on Interval Setting
 
• Add sultanas and currants and knead for a further 1 minute
 
• Wrap in Thermomat or place in a covered bowl and leave to prove in a warm place for 2 hours to approximately double in size
 
• Break off 1/3 cup size pieces, shape into rolls and place on a lined baking tray and let them prove for a further 30 minutes (we like them small in size as they go further!)
 
• Pipe with crosses if desired (a mix of 80g flour, pinch salt, 1tsp oil, 100g water in a piping bag or zip lock bag with the end snipped off)
 
• Bake in a preheated oven at 220° for 15 minutes
 
• Brush with sugar syrup (a mix of 1 tbls rapadura sugar and 1 tbls hot water) while still warm

 

Enjoy!