I am not that big a fan of ice creams but that changes when there is caffeine element in there- coffee, matcha, chai, you get the idea.The bitter sweet note added by coffee or tea really really makes ice cream interesting for me.Those are my most favorite ice cream flavors.
This recipe is so simple. You start by brewing some chai in half and half (or whole milk, see recipe), mix it with heavy cream, chai masala, condensed milk and freeze it overnight. Really it barely takes 20 minutes! Once frozen, scoop it out, top with some nuts if you like and enjoy!
Here are a few things to be kept in mind:-
You can use decaffeinated black tea leaves if you are worried about the caffeine content in this ice cream. Do not replace the condensed milk with sugar in this recipe, since we are not using a custard base, it won’t be creamy otherwise. Condensed milk makes it smooth and milky. Grind a fresh chai masala for the best taste of spices. I liked to go heavy on sweet spices like cinnamon, cardamom and fennel since its a dessert. You can add spices as per your preference. Let the tea leaves/tea bags brew for atleast 10-15 minutes for a strong nice chai taste. Chill the ice cream base for 2 hours before freezing it. Freeze overnight. You can enjoy the ice cream right away or store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks. Jazz up your ice cream by adding nuts, butter scotch chips or caramel.
