Maple Pine Chai
I’ve been craving the piney woods, the place my mind travels when eyelids flutter closed.
But the 3,461.5 miles between the forests of Scotland and I are much too far to travel for an afternoon hike.
So I recreated the experience in a cup.
Here’s how to drink a walk in the woods of Scotland:
For 2
1 cup water
2 chai tea bags (my favorite is Yogi tea)
½ cup chopped white pine needles*
1 ½ cups milk (or almond milk + 2 t coconut oil for creaminess)
1 teaspoon chai spice*
dash of cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (or to desired sweetness)
pinch of salt
In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the pine needles and tea bags, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and pour the tea through a sieve to strain the pine needles from the liquid.
Return liquid to saucepan, and pour in milk of choice. Heat through with spices, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.
To froth, pour liquid into a blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Close your eyes.
Imagine sitting on the forest floor with a bottom full of pine needles.
Chai spice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
Dash of pepper
BE CAREFUL ABOUT EATING WILD THINGS AND ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT POISONOUS
Refer to this site in identifying white pines.