Dirty Chai Instant Tea Mix

This year, while my husband and I were visiting family, my husband stumbled upon a new favorite for him at the coffee house. It's called a Dirty Chai Tea. What is a Dirty Chai you ask? It is an awesome marriage of 1-2 shots of Espresso and Chai Tea Latte, and it is... DIVINE!

One thing I have learned about living in rural Nebraska is that if you find something you like in the city, there is a good chance that you won't be able to get it in our town. So it got me thinking...I could totally make a mix for him and he can have it anytime he wants. Now granted, it's not going to be exactly like the coffee house, but I have to admit, it's pretty darn close.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups dry instant nonfat milk
1 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
1 1/2 cup French Vanilla flavored non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
2 cups instant coffee crystals (or 1/3 Espresso Powder)
3 cups white sugar
2 cups unsweetened instant tea
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground clove
2 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom*
1 tbs pink peppercorns** (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Using a food processor or a blender, add a couple of cups at a time and blend until it becomes a fine powder. When pouring the fine powder into a clean mixing bowl, make sure to pass it through a strainer to get out the peppercorns that did not grind up all the way.

Store in an airtight container - I used a 1/2 gallon Ball Jar (and a 1/2 pint jar for the overflow). To serve – add 3 tsp. to a mug of hot water, add a dash of milk.

*cardamom can be hard to find, and can be a little expensive. You can substitute nutmeg in its place. Will have a slightly different taste, but still tastes very yummy.
**peppercorns - it is very important to not substitute these with anything else. If you do not have them, leave them out. Regular pepper is too strong, and has a different flavor profile.

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