almond milk chai

am-chai.txt

2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into thin rounds, more if you like
2 cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 teaspoons black peppercorns (optional)
10 whole cloves
6 -10 cardamom pods (mix of green and black personally preferred, but if you only use one, go green)
1 clove star anise
2-3 tbsp black tea (darjeeling)
2 tsp simple syrup, agave nectar, honey, or your preferred sweetener
4 cups almond milk
dash smoked cinammon
dash shaved nutmeg

note: a traditional chai recipe will have you steep the tea in water and mix in milk/cream, but you'll water down the almond milk. additionally, having a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or infusing bags will simplify cleanup

with the blunt end of a knife smash the first six ingredients together and place in the nutmilk bag/tie up in cheesecloth 
warm up almond milk in saucepan over low heat

once you get a tiny bit of steam off the almond milk, add the smoked cinnamon and shave off some ground nutmeg

add your sweetener to the mixture

add your spices/spice bag and keep on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the almond milk mixture has a nice mocha color

drain spice bag or filter out spices with a sieve and drink up!