Chai Ice Cream
Whether enjoyed hot or cold, chai is one of my favorite ways to indulge my adoration of black tea. I’ve tried all sorts of commercial blends, my favorite being Oregon Chai, and have recently taken to brewing it from scratch using black tea leaves, green cardamom pods, cloves, fresh ginger and cinnamon. However until this past weekend, I had never experienced the delights of chai ice cream.
To be honest, the chai ice cream recipe featured in this post is decadent in its creamy tribute to one of the world’s favorite spiced teas – but it was such a pain to photograph. Omg. I spent nearly an hour battling the hot, humid weather, which naturally began melting the ice cream within seconds of my scooping it. Frustrated, I’d shape it with a spoon then stick the bowl in the freezer before attempting to take another photograph. Telltale signs of this war can be seen in the droplets of water clinging to the bottom of the ice cream bowl – humidity made visible. Yet on the upside, one of the bonuses of taking food photos is that when your subject annoys you revenge can be taken by eating it as soon as you’ve gotten that one, usable image. Which is exactly what I did after I snapped the above picture. 
Vendettas aside, eating a bowl of this ice cream was supremely satisfying, combining the pleasure of sipping an iced chai with the texture of perfectly churned ice cream. I used my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and churned the mixture of cream, egg yolks, chai spices, milk and sugar for 25 minutes – more time than that, I’ve learned, creates larger ice crystals and sacrifices texture as a result.
Being a curious cook who likes to learn about the origins of her treats, I’ve looked into the beginnings of chai – pronounced like the ‘ch’ in chocolate and rhyming with ‘sky’ – discovering that though Americans usually associate the word “chai” with a specific drink made with black tea, milk, sugar and spices, the word is actually a generic term for tea. Indeed the ‘chai lattes’ we’ve grown so fond of in the US are technically called “chai masala” – ‘masala,’ meaning ‘a mixture of spices,’ and ‘chai,’ meaning ‘tea.’ According to some the drink is more than 5,000 years old and was invented by the King of Siam, who fiercely protected his recipe. Others claim that the drink has roots in the Hindu healing system of ayurveda, which uses spices and herbs to cure physical ailments. However, historians like Lizzie Collingham maintain that chai masala is a relatively recent addition to the Indian repertoire, originating in the 1700′s when England decided to colonize India. Being avid tea drinkers the English were interested in expanding their tea supply beyond China, and so created large-scale tea plantations in India. The local population was so unfamiliar with tea that when farmers were sent to harvest the leaves they had to be schooled in the technique. In an odd bit of history England eventually launched a campaign to teach Indians how to drink tea, sending soldiers or traders to remote houses with teapots, leaves and sugar in hand. At some point during this process Indians began adding more milk and sugar than their English instructors recommended, and in an act that surely shocked more than a few English ladies they began adding various spices or honey to the mix as well. Hence our chai masala was born.
Today chai masala is frequently prepared in Indian homes and can also be found in popular public locales, such as train stations or city streets, where it is sold by vendors called “wallahs.” Wallahs make their chai over open fires, mixing the milk, sweetener and spices with a dramatic pouring of the liquid from one large cup to another, before serving the chai in clay cups called “chullarhs” (I’ve heard that the chullarhs are smashed on the ground once the patron has finished his or her drink, but I’m not sure if this is true.) Recipes vary from whallah to whallah and from family to family, with spices such as cinnamon, star anise, ginger, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and fennel being common ingredients.
The chai recipe used to make the ice cream pictured above used cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, though if you’re adventurous you can certainly experiment with other combinations. Black tea leaves and whole spices are added to the milk, cream and sugar, then strained from the mixture before chilling and freezing. The resulting balance of flavors is both elegant and comforting. If they are chai drinkers, your friends & family will adore this ice cream.
Edit:// I almost forgot to mention that today is my 1 year blogaversary! One year ago today I made my baking obsession official by buying this domain and sharing a recipe for sugared monkey bread. Ah the memories, the posts, the friends I’ve made – including you. Thank you so very much for sharing my baking and books adventures with me.
Chai Ice Cream
Reprinted with permission from A Passion for Ice Cream: 95 Recipes for Fabulous Desserts, by Emily Luchetti.
Ingredients: Makes about 5 servings
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 1/2 tablespoon black tea leaves (loose leaves, not sachets)
- 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the cardamom pods on a baking pan and crush them with the side of a knife. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the milk, cream, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, tea, and ginger. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let the spices and tea steep for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and the salt. Slowly pour the hot liquid into the egg mixture, whisking as you pour. Return the liquid to the pan and cook, over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the liquid reaches 175 degrees F (I used a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature) and lightly coats the spatula. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (I used cheese cloth secured with a rubber band) into a bowl, discard the spices and tea, and cool over an ice bath until room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until scoopable, about 4 hours, depending on your freezer.
44 Responses to “Chai Ice Cream”
Recent Posts
Ari, I’m very impressed that you managed to photograph that ice cream — not so much before it melted, but before you were tempted to eat it! I’m not a huge fan of chai, but I have tasted chai ice cream and really like it. Maybe it’s time to try making my own….
Wow, I love your photo, absolutely worth the time and effort
When I was in Japan I had green tea ice cream as well yam ice cream… surprisingly they were delicious!! I loved them. I have been wanting to make a replicas… and your latest blog has indeed inspired me.
Good luck with the raffle.
This is soooo luxurious! I love your ice-cream.
Drinking good chai (masala) is a delight. It’s the only tea I add sugar to, and without the sweetener it’s flat! There have been some wonderful domestic spice teas before this newer love of ‘authentic’ chai, notably Market Spice from Seattle (back in the early 80′s) and Good Earth (going strong). I believe that the original Yogi Tea (now a company with a few dozen teas) was a chai masala too, also showing up 25 years ago or so. On to ice cream — thanks!
I made a chocolate chai ice cream once that was really good. This sounds fantastic!
So Lets call this a frozen creamy chai
Shn
Sorry Ari, this time, I did not read the post, only had eyes for the icecream
Oh my….. that Chai ice cream looks delicious. I am baking in 100 degree temperatures in sunny California. How I would love to get a spoonful..okay really a bowl of your ice cream.
If I had an ice cream maker I would try this.
I really enjoy the history info you provide.
A BIG Congratulations on your one year blogaversary. May you continue to provide us with outstanding stories, books reviews and recipes for a very long time.
What a wonderful idea for ice cream!
Ari, what a lovely ice cream recipe. I just love the idea of all those spices. My Indian heart craves for a huge spoonful LOL!
A beautiful ice cream! Great flavor!
Happy Bloganniversary, ArI! Keep up with the good work and may you blog forever!!! Thanks for your delightful posts…
Cheers,
Rosa
I got to say that is one of the best photos of ice cream ever.
Happy Birthday!! I can’t believe you’re only 1 year old! Seriously, I thought you’d been blogging for a long time! isn’t it a wonderful adventure?
Sweet! That’s a brilliant idea. I may try making a Thai iced tea version.
Congrats on your blogaversary!
Happy blogaversary, sweetie!!!
You and your blog have been constant inspiration for me, Ari, for so long!
I remember how great it felt having your comments on my blog even when it was only written in Portuguese. I feel honored to be a part of this celebration!
Lots of hugs!
I love chai and I love ice cream, so you can imagine the delighted look that spread across my face when I saw this post! Yum! And happy blog birthday!!
Happy Blogiversary! Did I also see you mentioned on the NYT Web site? I didn’t see a link, but I could have sworn I saw Baking and Books mentioned in a story about cookbook authors making “appearances” on blogs.
I’ve only had Chai tea a few times – I’m not a big hot-tea drinker, being from the South – but I’m trying to get used to it bc I know it’s good for me!
Happy Anniversary! Wishing you many many more! I don’t know how you manage to bake all these wonderful items without gaining tons of weight!
Great photo! It looks yummy!
Interesting history about the chai. And Happy Bloganniversary!!!!!!!!!!
Paz
Happy Birthday……….you still look fab……beau chai!
HAPPY HAPPY! it appears that quite a lot has happened in real time while i was in the desert…
and chai ice cream…are you kidding?? i sooo could’ve used that out there!
when starbucks first launched their ice cream line, they test-marketed a chai ice cream in my town. it was AMAZING. then it disappeared, never to be seen again. and yet several years later, I still check the freezer case to see if it’s come back.
I guess I’ll just make my own! looks heavenly.
Happy Blogaversary!!!
I love chai masala! It’s delicious, comforting, and exotic all at once
This must taste like heaven! Arf…so many signs pointing towards me getting an ice cream maker! 
Ari, I love masala chai.. and that icecream cone looks fabulous. Congratulations on your first anniversary and I’m looking forward to many more posts from you in the coming days.
Happy Blogaversary!!!
How perfect is this ice cream for me
I love love chai in all shapes and forms. Right now I’m lounging around at home while on vacation so I will definitely make this for the family before I leave. The photo came out great!
Yayy! Happy blogaversary! It’s been a very VERY fine year, indeed.
And this ice cream looks AMAZING. I absolutely love chai, so I must try this.
I was so excited to see a post about that recipe! I love love love A Passion for Ice Cream and the chai ice cream is really great. It’s just exotic enough to serve to those with (how should I say it? underdeveloped?) palates. Also, congratulations on your blog’s birthday!!
I can relate about taking pictures of ice cream in hot weather. I guess it’s true, revenge is a dish best served cold;) Happy blogaversary!
Bravo for successfully photographing ice cream in hot humid weather. I believe I will like this since I just love sweets made from tea. And Happy Blog birthday!
Congratulations on your blogaversary! This is the first post I have read and i love it! i have immediately added you to my google reader! i’m now on my way out to the shops to get the ingredients!
Looks fantastic and the spoon shaping makes little ramps on the ice cream. Great photos!
Cardamom in ice cream – YUUUUUUUM!
Fabulous! I love your blog. I just added you as a link at my new blog, Durfwad Manor. Thanks for the recipes!
Happy Blog-anniversary, you sure had such a brilliant idea when you decided to share with us your recipes, interviews and your baking obsession! Chai is one of my favorites!
I looove this recipe! I will be making this even if the weather is chilly!
It’s a beautiful picture Ari.
Happy Blogaversary! Thank YOU for sharing your baking and books experiences with me/us. 
Now if you will please excuse me, I am going out to drink some chai masala.
That looks so good!
Happy Blogaversary!
Happy Blogaversary to you and many more to come!
Happy Bog Anniversary! So many acomplishments in one year!This ice cream is very very tempting…cardamom..yum!
Great picture!
Now I had to come back and say Happy Blogaversary! Looking forward to Year Two of Baking and Books.
I have a lot of catching up to do on your blog, now that I have just gotten hi-speed internet access to my home. Happy blogaversary, and I can’t wait for the many years ahead! And I love that history on chai, chai tea is one of my favorite drinks–warm and soothing.
An inspired ice cream, lovely.
I love chai tea and can hardly wait to try the chai icecream. Great blog:-))