DIY Christmas gift or party favor: Chai Rooibos Steeping Bags

An easy, do-it-yourself gift that shares beautiful spices and antioxidant-rich rooibos.

Fri, Dec 02 2011 at 3:40 PM

Related Topics:

Healthy Eating, Recipes, Christmas

Photo: Kimi Harris

One of my favorite treats is chai. This highly spiced tea is warming to the body and soul when sipped while reading a good book. I like the convenience of the store-bought chai concentrates, but I don't like all of the sugar they contain.

So after browsing a bunch of recipes, I came up with my own version. It's delicious and easy to make. Rooibos is an herbal tea that is very high in antioxidants and caffeine-free.

This year I was looking for a simple item that I could give to my friends as a gift of appreciation. You know how it is. If you gave something too large or elaborate, they’d feel bad if they hadn’t gotten you a gift. But if it’s small enough, it shows your appreciation and love without obliging them to return a gift. I thought it would be fun to share my love for chai tea. I gathered all the spices from the bulk section at the local health food store, special ordered a large amount of rooibos tea, and also ordered small muslin tea bags. These tea steeping bags are easy to make and lovely to give. A note on the spices: chai recipes vary greatly. Feel free to experiment with the spices to find a mix that you like!

Chai Rooibos Steeping Bag

Ingredients

For each bag, you will need:

6 cinnamon sticks
15 allspice berries
15 whole cloves
5 cardamom pods
15 black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
6 tablespoons red rooibos
1 muslin tea bag
1 recipe card

Directions

Take the cloves, allspice berries, cardamom pods and peppercorns and crush them slightly in a pestle and mortar. Combine with the rooibos, dried ginger and cinnamon sticks. Pour into the muslin bag, and tie on a recipe card with the following directions.
Directions: Add bag to a pot of 6 cups of simmering water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove muslin bag carefully. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, if desired. This chai concentrate will last 10 days in the refrigerator. To serve mix and heat equal amounts of the concentrate with your choice of milk or nondairy milk. Sweeten to taste with honey.

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