2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup sugar + extra, if required
3 tablespoons strong black loose leaf tea (see recipe notes)
1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
For the chai spice mix:
1 teaspoon green cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
3 inch piece of cinnamon or 1 tablespoon cassia bark
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper
1 star anise
Place the milk, 1 cup of the cream, and sugar in a pot. Add the black tea and bring to a gentle simmer (don't let it boil). Simmer for a minute, then take off the heat and let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring every so often (depending on how strong you like your chai).
Strain into a clean pot and add the ginger. Place all the chai spices in a large mortar and pestle and crush coarsely. Add the spices to the milk mixture, and bring back to a simmer. Remove from heat and let the spices infuse fully in the chai, about 30 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup cream. Taste and add more sugar if you like your chai sweeter.
Once cold, strain the mixture into a large bowl, and chill in the fridge for about an hour.
Once completely cold, pour the mixture into your popsicle molds, being careful not to overfill, and top with popsicle sticks. Freeze until completely set.
Run water over the molds to unmold and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- You can replace the heavy cream with half and half (10%) or coffee cream (18%). The creamsicles won't be as creamy and might tend to get a little icier, but will still taste gorgeous.
- You can also use 3 teabags of black tea, but they will take longer to steep in the milk.
- I prefer using strong black Assam, Ceylon or Nilgiri loose leaf tea.
- If you want a more authentic masala chai taste and color, replace the loose leaf tea with 2 to 3 tablespoons of granulated CTC tea, available at Asian groceries and some large supermarkets. Add the tea granules, bring to the boil, turn off the heat and stir until the chai turns golden. Strain immediately. Follow the remaining steps, as instructed.