I remember the day I sipped on some of the best hot chocolate I had ever tasted. I was still living in America and I was at one of my favorite coffee shops (side note: the owners had also lived abroad for quite some time). I noticed they had a new item on the menu: chai hot chocolate. I was skeptical but decided to give it a try.

My world of hot chocolate was changed forever! Maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but it was very delicious. The taste of the spices worked so well with the cocoa and left this wonderful aftertaste on my tastebuds.

I want to share the recipe for both the chai spice mix and the chai hot chocolate. It's my early Christmas present to you.

For the chai spice you will need:

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves 

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg*

• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*

• 3 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice

*If you have cardamom on your spice rack, then you can use 1 teaspoon of that in place of the 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Once you've added all of your spices to the bowl, you can mix it together. Now you have a bowl full of chai spice that you can store away for later use.

Now you're ready to make yourself a cup (actually, 2 cups) of chai hot chocolate.

For the chai hot chocolate you will need:

• 2 cups milk (I used whole milk)

• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

• 2 Tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon chai spice

Mix all of these ingredients in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
(a little tip: pre-mix your sugar with your cocoa powder before adding it to the milk so that it dissolves a little easier. You’re welcome.)

When my husband took a sip of his very first chai hot chocolate (or maybe I should say he gave it a chai, buh dum chhh), he said, "mmmm, it tastes like Christmas."

Now, sit back and sip your chai treat. If you live on the equator like me, sip it in a room with the AC as low as possible and pretend like it's hot-chocolate-weather. Am I right?? 

What's your favorite beverage for the Christmas season? Do you have any recommended recipes that use chai spice?? I have a lot of it now ;-)