Quick Christmas Gifts- Chai Mix
December 12, 2007 by Marye Audet
Filed under Gifts, Recipes, Tea
I like giving homemade baked goods, candies and cocoa mixes for Christmas gifts. It is inexpensive and, for me anyway, much more personal a gift. Over the years I have come u p with a hot cocoa mix I love but last year I created a chai mix that passed my personal prejudice against powdered chai mixes. In fact, I was so pleased with it I drank the first batch before I had time to jar it up and give it away and was forced to make more. 
I hope you like it too…
You can substitute any flavored creamer for the vanilla caramel, that just happens to be the one I liked best.
Chai Mix
2 cups powdered milk
3 cups dry creamer
1 cup vanilla-caramel flavored dry creamer
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp black pepper
Stir to combine all ingredients.
Use 3 Tbs. in 6 oz. of boiling water.
A great way to package this is to tie it in a plastic bag and place it in an antique tea cup. If you have a saucer to go with it, so much the better. Wrap in tulle and tie closed at the top with a wire edged ribbon.
This sounds wonderful! I always make baskets of goodies for friends and family at Christmas time. This would be a lovely addition! Thanks!
It is an awesome addition Carrie, I like to pick up vintage tea cups and add them in too.
Wow, that is one half-assed way to make some chai.
thanks so much Justin.
I gotta agree on this one, actually. Instant tea?
this will be a great way to get rid of that box of dry milk sitting in my cupboard i bought for a recipe.
antonia, it is great for instant chai.
I’m sorry to be negative but really?
Artificially flavored non-dairy creamer (full of unhealthy fats/chemicals), powdered “tea” mix,” caramel flavoring?
This is not chai, this is at best ‘artificially flavored chai mix.’
It sounds like something they would sell at McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts, not even the stuff they serve at Starbucks.
If a person is able to buy cardomon pods, cloves, ginger & cinnamon locally, then how hard is it to use real tea, include a tea ball with the gift? Talk about ruining an effort by using half-assed shortcuts.
Elis….while I normally use organic, all natural, I am also aware that there are people who do not and have no intention of doing so. I prefer to make chai from black tea and whole herbs…and I have a recipe on site for that as well. However…for a quick mix this works great and tastes great.
I’m with ellis about not using artificial creamer. For one thing I think it’s helpful to teach people that it’s not hard to brew your own tea. I’ve been giving my homemade herbal teas with a Goodwill tea pot and a tea strainer for many years as gifts. Chai is just one of them with directions to add warm milk and honey. Many of my friends have come back saying it started them on a whole new adventure of “make it yourself”