DIY Chai

We can kid ourselves no longer - summer is over and autumn is upon us, with days shortening and temperatures plummeting more every day. Chai lattes are one of my favourite winter warmers, the delicious hot, sweet spiciness of them never fails to comfort and thaw on even the coldest days. The only downside is the price, which at about three pounds a go is not especially student friendly, especially when the attempts of the huge, commercial coffee chains are usually disappointing anyway. I have found the best chai lattes at Froth & Fodder, a small but popular coffee shop opposite uni in Leeds, (if you ever find yourself in Leeds be sure to pay a visit - they also do the most delicious homemade soups) but this Valentine Warner recipe makes the next best thing. Although you have to forgo the frothyness that only a coffee machine can provide, the intense flavour of this chai certainly makes up for it.

For 1 Large or 2 Small Mugs-Worth You Will Need...

- Milk - enough to fill your mugs

- 1 tablespoon vanilla-infused caster sugar

- 4 green cardamom pods, smashed

- 2 thin slices unpeeled root ginger

- Half a cinnamon stick

- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, bashed

- 1 clove

- 1 black peppercorn

- 1 bayleaf, bashed to release flavour

- 1 teabag or 1 tsp loose tea of your choice e.g Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling 

You Will Need To...

- Tie up all the spices, the bay leaf and the tea in a small square of muslin cloth to make a spice bag. If you don't have any muslin then just put all the spice bag ingredients straight into the milk with the sugar, and strain through a sieve before drinking.

- Simmer the milk and sugar in a small sauce pan with the spice bag until bubbling gently.

- Turn off the heat and leave to brew to desired strength - between 5-10 minutes. When ready to drink, squeeze the bag with a spoon to extract any remaining flavour and remove.

Enjoy! C x

Two Types Of Biscotti

This recipe for biscotti, a twice-baked Italian biscuit, is incredibly versatile, and once you have the basic dough (I use a Paul Hollywood recipe for this) you can tailor the additional flavours to suit your preferences by altering the type of nuts, dried fruits or citrus that you choose to include. These two recipes are my personal favourite combinations - I couldn't choose between the fresh lemon and the rich chocolate versions so had to include both! Despite looking both authentic and impressive, biscotti is really simple and easy to make. Although the Tuscans traditionally serve them at the end of a meal with a glass of Vin Santo, in our slightly less sun-drenched autumnal England I think they are best enjoyed as a tea-time treat, or a tasty accompaniment to a mid-morning coffee.

Chocolate, Almond and Cherry

Lemon, Pistachio and Cranberry

 For About 30 Biscuits You Will Need...

Basic Dough

250 g plain flour (280g if making the chocolate biscotti)
1/2 tsp baking powder
250g caster sugar
3 free-range eggs, beaten

Lemon, Pistachio & Cranberry Flavour

Zest of 1 lemon
100g whole blanched almonds, roughly chopped
120g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
125g dried cranberries, roughly chopped

OR

Chocolate, Almond & Cherry Flavour

50g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
50g chocolate chips
50g dried sour cherries, chopped
100g blanched almonds, roughly chopped

You Will Need To...

- Preheat oven to 160C/325F.

- Make the biscotti base by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then gradually add the eggs and stir until it forms a dough. You probably won't need to use all the beaten egg so add it slowly - you don't want the dough to be sticky.

- Once you have a basic dough add in your additional flavours by stirring then kneading gently by hand until combined. If making the chocolate biscotti, add the melted chocolate along with the eggs and stir until the dough is evenly brown.

- Knead the mixture gently on a floured surface then cut in half and roll into two logs, each about 4 cm in diameter. Place on a lined tray about 5cm apart as the mixture will spread, and bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.

- Remove from oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut into slices and lay flat back on the tray. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until dry throughout, turning over halfway through.

- Put the kettle on and enjoy!

C x