Masala Chai

Pottery from Schyler the Potter, a local Traverse City Artist

Masala Chai is a rich blend of warm and inviting spices simmered with sweetened black tea and milk, hailing from India.

It is often called simply chai, or chai tea, but the latter is redundant since “chai” actually means “tea” in Hindi. Essentially, “chai tea” is like saying “tea tea.” Another example of queso cheese for you.

You might find it interesting that masala chai and chai tea/chai tea latte are not the same thing. The spices used are similar, but the key difference is that masala chai has the spices simmered in the tea and milk, where cha tea latte has the spices simmered in just the tea, then milk is added later. Thus, masala chai is richer having the spices fully infuse all the through the milk, and chai tea is not quite as flavorful with the milk toning down the tea.

What Kind of Tea to Use?

Loose leaf tea is a good choice, but tea bags can also be used. Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri are common choices.

Typical Spices

The spices used can vary depending on the region in India. Typical spices include grated ginger, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns, whole cloves, and sometimes lemongrass or even mint or holy basil.

Common Sweeteners

White sugar, brown sugar, Demerara, coconut sugar, honey, and jaggory are all common sweeteners, but you can use whichever you prefer. I like to use maple syrup or honey.

Milk Choices

Water buffalo milk is a traditional choice in India, but that might not be available to you, so whole milk would be the next most authentic choice. Otherwise, use whichever kind of milk or milk alternative you typically use. Half & half makes for an extra creamy and rich treat, or oat milk, soy milk, etc. keeps it dairy free.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Masala Chai

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water

• 2 (3 inch / 7cm) sticks of cinnamon

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 4 cardamom pods, seeds removed (roughly 30 seeds)

• 12 whole cloves

• 20 peppercorns

• Seeds from 1 star anise, optional

• 8 black tea bags, or 4 tsp loose leaf black tea

• 4 cups milk of choice

• Sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat so water simmers, rather than boiling.

2. Add all spices and black tea to water; simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Increase heat and add milk; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Strain tea into a large heat-proof pitcher or container, discard spices and tea. Add sweetener of choice to taste. Pour into mugs and serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Boiling the spices before adding the milk is important as ginger can curdle milk otherwise.

• Another option instead of straining the tea, is to gather all the spices into some cheesecloth and tying it closed with some food-safe string. This is called a bouquet garni, and keeps the spices contained. After simmering for 15 minutes, the bouquet garni can simply be removed, gently squeezed between two spoons, and discarded.

• The star anise is optional since not everyone loves its black licorice flavor. I do not care for star anise, but I do actually enjoy it in this recipe, as it melds well with the other flavors and is not distinct.

• While maybe not traditional, I like to add a teaspoon or two of grated orange zest and even vanilla extract.

Yield 6-8

Author Jennyblogs

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Masala Chai

Authentic Masala Chai is a creamy, spicy tea drink original to India but enjoyed around the world.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 (3 inch / 7cm) sticks of cinnamon
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 cardamom pods, seeds removed (roughly 30 seeds)
• 12 whole cloves
• 20 peppercorns
• Seeds from 1 star anise, optional
• 8 black tea bags, or 4 tsp loose leaf black tea
• 4 cups milk of choice
• Sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat so water is simmering, rather than boiling.
2. Add all spices and black tea to water; simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Increase heat and add milk; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Strain tea into a large heat-proof pitcher or container, discard spices and tea. Add sweetener of choice to taste. Pour into mugs and serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Notes

• Boiling the spices before adding the milk is important as ginger can curdle milk otherwise.
• Another option instead of straining the tea, is to gather all the spices into some cheesecloth and tying it closed with some food-safe string. This is called a bouquet garni, and keeps the spices contained. After simmering for 15 minutes, the bouquet garni can simply be removed, gently squeezed between two spoons, and discarded.
• The star anise is optional since not everyone loves its black licorice flavor. I do not care for star anise, but I do actually enjoy it in this recipe, as it melds well with the other flavors and is not distinct.
• While maybe not traditional, I like to add a teaspoon or two of grated orange zest and even vanilla extract.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

162

Fat

5 g

Sat. Fat

3 g

Carbs

24 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

22 g

Sugar

20 g

Protein

6 g

Sodium

73 mg

Cholesterol

20 mg

Nutritional information is approximate; based on 6 servings using whole milk and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup per serving.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/11/3/9n52w1694ykfighl73rp84sst7zdin

masala chai, chai tea latte, authentic Indian chai, homemade chai tea

beverage, breakfast

Indian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Semlor (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

Last Updated August 11, 2024

Semlor are yeasted Swedish sweet buns filled with marzipan and whipped cream with hints of cardamom.

These buns, as I've read, are traditionally associated with Lent and eaten on Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday. You could think of them as the equivalent to Polish paczki. If you're thinking, "Wow, thanks, that helps me so much - WHAT is a paczki??" It's similar to a jelly filled doughnut (but better!!) traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday and pronounced poonch-key or pawnch-key (it’s much debated). There is quite a large Polish population near where I grew up, including an annual Polka Fest! Plenty of polka-ing and beer to go around. Anyway, Semlor are also eaten in various forms and under other names in other Nordic countries such as Finland, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from LondonEats

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Semlor

Makes 10 buns

Ingredients:

For the Cardamom Buns

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• 7 Tbsp / 100g butter

• 2 tsp / 6.3g instant yeast

• 1/4 tsp / 1g salt

• 1/3 cup / 40g sugar

• 1/2 tsp / 1g ground cardamom

• 2 eggs

• 3 1/2 cups / 450g all-purpose flour or bread flour

• 1 tsp / 5g water, milk, or heavy cream

For the Marzipan Filling

• insides of the buns

• 7 oz / 200g marzipan (make your own marzipan here!)

• generous 3/4 cup / 195g milk

• generous 3/4 cup / 195g heavy whipping cream

• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Make the Cardamom Buns

Oven 390°F / 200°C. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat.

1. Place milk in a small saucepan and heat until milk just begins to simmer.  Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to melt.  Once butter is completely melted and integrated, allow mixture to sit until lukewarm.  

2. Place milk mixture, yeast, salt, sugar, cardamom, and 1 egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.  Beat until all ingredients are incorporated.  Switch to the dough hook and add flour slowly on medium-low speed until a soft dough forms.  Continue to beat for several minutes on medium speed.  You should hear the dough slapping the sides of the bowl, sticking only to the bottom.  If the dough is sticking to the sides, add flour gradually until dough no longer sticks.  

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes more.  Divide dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.  Place evenly prepared baking sheets. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.   

4. Beat the second egg with the water and use a pastry brush or your hands to evenly brush the buns.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown or when internal temperature registers 185-190°F / 85-88°C.  

6. Transfer buns to a cooling rack, cover with a towel, and allow to cool.  

Make the Marzipan Filling

Your filling may look like baby spit-up, too. And that's ok.

1. Once the buns are cool enough to handle, cut out a lid from the top using a small serrated knife. Set the lids aside.  Using a fork, scoop out the inside of each bun and place in a medium bowl.  Crumble/tear with your fingers as best you can.  Add marzipan and milk and work into a smooth paste using your hands or a fork.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks from.  

Assembly

1. Fill the buns evenly with the marzipan mixture. Pipe whipped cream over the filling using a large star tip (1M) or a spoon.  

2. Place the tops on the whipped cream, then dust tops with powdered sugar using a small sieve.  

Jenny's Notes:

• I always knead my dough by hand for a bit after kneading it in a machine. The machine doesn't always do a perfect job and I've had instances before where I kneaded solely in the machine and had a strange dough rise as a result. A few rounds of kneading by hand fixed the problem; the yeast hadn't been distributed evenly when kneaded only by machine.

• If you have a scale you can ensure your buns will be all the same size. Weigh the dough mass, then divide this number by 10. This will give you an idea how much each of the 10 buns should weigh. You don't have to be exact down to the gram, of course, but I would stay within 5 or so grams of this number. Divide the dough mass in 2, then divide each half into 5 equal parts. Then weigh each piece to see how accurate your eye was.

• When you "crumble" the filling into pieces you may notice the dough is moist and hard to crumble, but tear it as best you can into small chunks. When you add the milk and marzipan the pieces will absorb the liquid and eventually come together into a smoothish mass.

• I made my own marzipan for this recipe and used rose water. Rose is a very strong flavor, so go light, but I thought it made for a very unique pairing with almond and cardamom and very "European" tasting. Or, leave out the rose if you're skeptical and you'll still have a lovely cardamom/almond combination.

• "Semlor" is plural, so if you would like to eat only one bun, ask for a "Semla."

Yield 10

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 H & 20 M

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

1 Hour

Total time

2 H & 35 M

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Semlor (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

Sweet, yeasted cardamom buns with a creamy marzipan filling and whipped cream topping.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

For the Cardamom Buns

• 1 cup / 237g milk
• 7 Tbsp / 100g butter
• 2 tsp / 6.3g instant yeast
• 1/4 tsp / 1g salt
• 1/3 cup / 40g sugar
• 1/2 tsp / 1g ground cardamom
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups / 450g all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 1 tsp / 5g water, milk, or heavy cream

For the Marzipan Filling

• insides of the buns
• 7 oz / 200g marzipan (make your own marzipan here!)
• generous 3/4 cup / 195g milk
• generous 3/4 cup / 195g heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Make the Cardamom Buns

1. Oven 390°F / 200°C. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat.
2. Place milk in a small saucepan and heat until milk just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to melt. Once butter is completely melted and integrated, allow mixture to sit until lukewarm.
3. Place milk mixture, yeast, salt, sugar, cardamom, and 1 egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat until all ingredients are incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and add flour slowly on medium-low speed until a soft dough forms. Continue to beat for several minutes on medium speed. You should hear the dough slapping the sides of the bowl, sticking only to the bottom. If the dough is sticking to the sides, add flour gradually until dough no longer sticks.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes more. Divide dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. Place evenly prepared baking sheets. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Beat the second egg with the water and use a pastry brush or your hands to evenly brush the buns.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown or when internal temperature registers 185-190°F / 85-88°C.
7. Transfer buns to a cooling rack, cover with a towel, and allow to cool.

Make the Marzipan Filling

1. Once the buns are cool enough to handle, cut out a lid from the top using a small serrated knife. Set the lids aside. Using a fork, scoop out the inside of each bun and place in a medium bowl. Crumble/tear with your fingers as best you can. Add marzipan and milk and work into a smooth paste using your hands or a fork.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks from.

Assembly

1. Fill the buns evenly with the marzipan mixture. Pipe whipped cream over the filling using a large star tip (1M) or a spoon.
2. Place the tops on the whipped cream, then dust tops with powdered sugar using a small sieve.

Notes

I always knead my dough by hand for a bit after kneading it in a machine. The machine doesn't always do a perfect job and I've had instances before where I kneaded solely in the machine and had a strange dough rise as a result. A few rounds of kneading by hand fixed the problem; the yeast hadn't been distributed evenly when kneaded only by machine.If you have a scale you can ensure your buns will be all the same size. Weigh the dough mass, then divide this number by 10. This will give you an idea how much each of the 10 buns should weigh. You don't have to be exact down to the gram, of course, but I would stay within 5 or so grams of this number. Divide the dough mass in 2, then divide each half into 5 equal parts. Then weigh each piece to see how accurate your eye was.When you "crumble" the filling into pieces you may notice the dough is moist and hard to crumble, but tear it as best you can into small chunks. When you add the milk and marzipan the pieces will absorb the liquid and eventually come together into a smoothish mass.I made my own marzipan for this recipe and used rose water. Rose is a very strong flavor, so go light, but I thought it made for a very unique pairing with almond and cardamom and very "European" tasting. Or, leave out the rose if you're skeptical and you'll still have a lovely cardamom/almond combination.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

436.24

Fat

19.78 g

Sat. Fat

10.76 g

Carbs

56.25 g

Fiber

1.82 g

Net carbs

54.43 g

Sugar

18.41 g

Protein

9.08 g

Sodium

149.19 mg

Cholesterol

84.19 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one semla.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/7/29/semlor-swedish-cardamom-buns

semla,semlor,cardamom buns,marzipan filling,swedish buns, yeasted bread, sweet buns

bread, breakfast, dessert

Nordic

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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