Spa Recipe: Whole Latte Love

Spa owners looking to warm up guests when Jack Frost comes calling can turn to this restorative chai latte recipe.

Spa owners looking to warm up guests when Jack Frost comes calling can turn to this restorative chai latte recipe, the brainchild of Zoe Nathan, who, along with husband Josh Loeb, owns and runs several eateries in Los Angeles. Nathan can usually be found at the helm of Huckleberry Café, whose recipes inspired Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes From Our Kitchen (Chronicle Books, 2014). Written in the sassy’s chef’s trademark witty style, the cookbook covers the café’s signature baked goods and drinks.

Our pick from the latter is this chai latte recipe, showcasing ginger and antioxidant-rich tea and spices to ward off winter chills, plus a smidge of sweetness from vanilla syrup (honey or agave can be substituted instead).

“We didn’t serve chai lattes at Huckleberry for a long time because we pride ourselves on making everything from scratch and didn’t want to use one of those pre-packaged powders,” explains Nathan. “So we came up with this simple but super-flavorful alternative. The syrup lends a rich sweetness to the drink and, by adding it separately, you’re always in control of how sweet you make it.” Extra bonus: leftovers keep well in the fridge—the chai tea for up to two weeks, the syrup for up to a month.

Chai Latte
Makes about 4 cups

5 cinnamon sticks
3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. whole allspice berries
3 Tbsp. cardamom pods
2 Tbsp. fennel seeds
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. black peppercorns
6 star anise pods
1-in. piece fresh ginger
8 cups water
6 good-quality black tea bags
Whole organic milk (as desired)
Vanilla syrup (combine the following ingredients and heat in a saucepan; whisk until sugar is dissolved and seeds dispersed):
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
seeds and pod of 1 vanilla bean

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Toast first seven ingredients on a sheet pan until fragrant (5 to 10 minutes). Combine toasted spices, ginger and water in a saucepan and simmer over high heat until reduced by half. Remove from heat, add tea bags and steep for three minutes. Strain, discarding whole spices and tea bags. To make one serving of chai latte, heat even amounts of milk and chai tea in a saucepan over a medium to high heat, stirring occasionally. Pour into a large mug and add vanilla syrup to taste.