Chai Latte Gummy Bears

After I made three different versions of wine gummy bears - more on that soon! - I needed to make something without alcohol. Since I felt like curling up with mug of chai, I used 1/2 C to make a batch of Chai Latte Gummy Bears for my trio. They were all happy!

Ingredients

Chai Latte

• 4 whole cloves
• 2 white cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1 star anise
• 3 cups water
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons black tea (decaf is best, especially if you are sharing with kids)

Gummy Bears

• 1/2 cup chai latte
• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 Tablespoon organic granulated sugar
• also needed bear mold (mine is a gummy bear silicone ice cube tray)

Procedure

Chai Latte

Crush the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, and star anise with a mortar and pestle. Place the pieces in a medium saucepan. Add water, ground ginger, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes.

Pour in the milk and whisk in the sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the tea. Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.

Strain out the leaves and spices. Pour into individual mugs and serve hot.

Gummy Bears

Pour 1/2 cup chai latte into a small saucepan. Whisk in the sugar. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Not all of the gelatin will absorb the tea; that's okay.

After five minutes, heat the mixture over a low to medium heat until the gelatin is dissolved and the mixture is thickened and clear. You can pour directly into the mold from the saucepan, if you like. I don't trust my neatness without a spout, so I transferred the mixture to a measuring cup.

Pour the mixture into the molds. You can pour all the way to the top, since it doesn't expand. Place the mold on a flat tray and put them in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Carefully unmold the bears.