Spiced Chai Oat Latte (No Syrup, No Sugar Crash)

A whole winter afternoon in a mug. The spices go in the jug, the machine cooks them into the milk, and what comes out tastes like it simmered on a hob for half an hour.

You'll need

• 800 ml water
• 60 g rolled oats
• 20 g cashews (for body chai needs something to hold on to)
• 1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
• 3 cardamom pods, cracked open
• 2 cloves
• 1 thin slice of fresh ginger
• 2 dates, pitted
• 1 pinch of salt
• Optional: 1 black tea bag, for the caffeine

Method

1. Crack the cardamom pods. Press them with the flat of a knife until they split. Whole, they give you almost nothing.
2. Load the jug with everything except the tea bag.
3. Press the hot program. About five minutes the machine heats the milk and steeps the spices at the same time.
4. Filter. You want the flavour of the cloves, not the cloves themselves.
5. Add the tea bag to the mug if you want it caffeinated, and steep for 2 minutes.

Make it your own

• Stronger: double the cardamom. It is the spice that makes chai taste like chai.
• Iced: make it hot, chill it, pour over ice. It is even better cold.
• Dirty chai: add a shot of espresso to the mug.

Makes about 4 mugs. Keeps 3 days in the fridge reheat gently.