Ginger Cashew Milk Tea

Concentrated spiced flavor, mellowed out with creamy cashew milk for a warm breakfast beverage.

We are all about the warm winter drinks. Mostly because we live in an old home and said old homes are innately...let's call it brisk. I've heard it called "character building" but brisk sounds healthy, right? So a warm drink is always welcome in the cooler Virginia months. While we are coffee people through and through, there's something beautiful about the ritual of tea and the ability to work in new flavors. This tea recipe infuses cardamom and raw ginger with home made creamy cashew milk. It's the beverage you can make when you want tea, but also a latte and not specifically chai. That sounds like a very specific category, but when it comes to food and beverages we're a specific pair. 

In terms of beverages, one of my personal drink rituals is hot water, lemon, raw ginger and honey late at night or super early in the morning. Hence, the obscene amount of ginger we had on hand for this recipe and image. Ginger is actually a great natural digestive aid as well. Usually this particular habit is accompanied by one, if not two, large cats nudging each other out of the way to sit on my lap. And about five minutes later my legs fall asleep and I'm worthless.

Just like how people have different ways they take their tea and coffee, this recipe has a lot of possible personalization. You can add more simple syrup or less. More salt or none. Extra creamy cashew milk or heavier on the tea. You do you. 

Ginger Cashew Milk Tea

Makes 2 beverages

/// Ingredients ///

• 2 cups water
• 2 large black tea bags (we use Lipton)
• 2 inches, sliced raw ginger
• 4 cardamom pods
• cashew milk as desired
• grey sea salt (to taste)
• simple syrup (to taste)
• cashew milk (we used the same recipe batch from the November Menu earl grey doughnuts) 

/// Directions /// Steep tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes. Remove without squeezing bags. Add raw ginger and slightly crushed cardamom pods to tea. Crush cardamom pods with flat side of knife blade. Bring to a boil and then turn off stove top. Steep for several minutes. Strain tea. Add to mug and top with desired amount of cashew milk, simple syrup and a small pinch of grey sea salt for balance. 

To make cashew milk: add 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, water, a splash of cider vinegar and salt with about 1 cup filtered water (to cover cashews) in a non-reactive bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for two hours to soak. Drain and rinse. Add to blender with 3 cups filtered water, a pinch of sea salt, 3 soft pitted dates and blend until completely smooth. Strain and store liquid in fridge for 3 days.