Chai Tea Chocolate Chips

Stress. Everybody has it but some deal with it better than others. The last few weeks have been a stressful time for me. As life goes, it feels like I’ve been hit with a host of timelines, expectations, and goals–some workable and some totally out of my hands.

When the going gets tough, there are a few things that inevitably give me comfort. Long walks with my furry cocker spaniel Fred always make me feel better. Some soothing meditation music and a good book can also do wonders. And of course, there’s my favorite cup of tea, Milk Oolong, reassuring from first sip to last.Another pastime that has the power to completely take my mind off of my troubles is baking. For those of you who are avid bakers, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. The difficulty of my baking pursuits are often in direct relationship to my stress levels: the more stressful the time I’m having, the more challenging of a baking project I’ll take on (cue: last year’s birthday cake).

These Chai Chocolate Chips are made for days to come, when I might need to call on baking as a therapeutic way to push through. Like my Matcha Chocolate Chips, you make them ahead of time so that they are ready to go when you are. These Chai Chocolate Chips are flavored with a sugar-free chai mix. And by sugar-free, I mean exclusively made of spices and tea, without added sweeteners of any kind (real or fake).
The chai powder I use doesn’t even have any milk powder in it, and is also available in a non-caffeinated rooibos version. As its ingredient list is quite pure, it’s a great choice not only for drinking, but also for baking and cooking with. Use the chips made from this tea powder to make cookies, muffins, energy balls, and even instantly satisfying mug cakes! Ultimately, they’ll give your everyday baking and cooking projects a tea-inspired boost, a little something special to keep your mind focused on better days ahead.

Chai Chocolate Chips

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:

1 12 oz. package white chocolate chips

2 Tbsp chai tea powder

Equipment:

double boiler

rubber spatula

#5 pastry tip

pastry bag

large drinking glass

2 large baking sheet fitted with parchment paper

Directions:

1.)  Fill the bottom of double boiler with water, making sure the water doesn’t make contact with the base of the top bowl of the double boiler. Bring water to a gentle simmer (bring water to boil, then reduce to very low heat). Place white chocolate in the top bowl of double boiler. Using rubber spatula, gently mix and melt the chocolate.

2.)  Add 4 tsp of the chai tea powder into the melted chocolate and mix in thoroughly.

3.)  In a pastry bag fitted with #5 pastry tip, pour the melted chocolate. It’s easiest to fill the bag by folding the tip over and placing the bag in a glass before filling it with the chocolate. You will have more control over the chocolate flowing out this way.

4.)  Secure parchment paper to a large baking sheet by placing dabs of the same melted chocolate on the bottom four corners of the parchment. Smooth out the parchment so that it is well secured to the sheet and laying completely flat on it.

5.)  Pipe 1/4″ dollops of melted chai tea chocolate on the baking sheet so that the chips don’t touch each other.

6.)  Wait for the chips to completely harden, then release them from the parchment by gently pulling the parchment up from each of the 4 corners towards the center of the baking sheet. Roll the hardened chips with the last 2 tsp of chai powder so that they have a light chai tea coating on the outside. Use the chips in any recipe, as you would chocolate chips.

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