Masala Chai Eggnog

Here is a good way to spice up (literally) the good ole eggnog. Add some Indian tea spiced to it and watch it transform into a whole new drink. If you like chai tea then you will love this drink. The spices and the tea works really well with the eggnog. You can serve it hot or cold which I think is a great option. I used almond milk to mix up the flavors a bit and the final result was pretty delicious. You can make this drink more festive by adding some bourbon. I made this recipe alcohol free so that it can be enjoyed by everyone. This drink will make a great addition to your menu for the Christmas dinner this year!

Serving 4  glasses

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk

4 cups eggnog

1 tbsp loose black tea

1 tsp fennel seeds

4 green cardamom pods

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger

1/4 tsp black peppercorn

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Add all spices in a mortar and pestle and pound to form a coarse mix.
2. In a pot add almond milk and bring it to a light simmer over medium low heat.
3. Once you start seeing small bubbles around the edge of the almond milk, add tea leaves and ground spice mix. Stir well with a spoon to mix everything. Cover the pot with a lid and let the flavors infuse over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Pass the almond milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer and pour into a pitcher. Add eggnog and  stir to mix well. If adding bourbon then you would want to do it at this point.
6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours for the flavors to mix into each other.

To serve: Make another batch of the spice mix and this time replace the fresh ginger with 1/2 tsp of ground dried ginger. Rim some wine glasses with a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar mixed in with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix. Pour the chilled eggnog into the glasses. Add whipped cream or milk froth (for fewer calories) and serve with a sprinkle of the ground spice mix.