Cold weather makes me crave the warmth and spice of chai tea. It's the perfect accompaniment for a lazy day spent reading by the fire. As it just so happens, I've got plenty of reading to catch up on, and a fireplace begging to be used.  

If you're unfamiliar with the drink, chai is the ubiquitous term for "tea" in many countries, but the one I refer to is a black tea brewed with a variety of spices, including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, peppercorns, and topped with milk. The tea can be served warm or over ice, and both options are equally delicious. 

Instead of buying a package of chai tea from the store, I decided to attempt a homemade batch. I scoured the internet to see if anyone had discovered the perfect recipe. Most of the recipes are fairly similar, the proportions are slightly different depending on taste, but I suggest playing around with the ingredients to see what you prefer.

I adapted my recipe from the blog, A Sweet Spoonful, and since I like my chai to be fairly creamy and sweet, I added extra milk and sweetener. I also threw in a dash of vanilla —because why not. 

Spiced Chai Recipe (makes one serving)

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk)
• 2 teaspoons loose black tea leaves (I used Ceylon)
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 3 black peppercorns
• 2-3 thin slices fresh ginger
• 3 whole cloves
• 1-2 teaspoons honey or simple syrup (depending on how sweet)
• dash of vanilla extract

Add water, milk and spices to saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add tea, and turn off heat. Let steep for 2-3 minutes or to desired flavor. Strain mixture. Add honey or simple syrup to desired level of sweetness.