Her Modern Kitchen

Eating & Living in Austin, Texas

chai

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned

by

The Dirty Chai Old Fashioned combines chai flavors with Devils River Whiskey’s Coffee Bourbon for a sophisticated, boozy coffee-chai cocktail.

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned

Devils River Whiskey provided me with complimentary bourbon in exchange for a recipe creation
but all thoughts, opinions, and images are my own.

I’m not a bourbon drinker but I seem to always concoct bourbon-based cocktails and this Dirty Chai Od Fashioned combines my love for coffee and chai with Devils River Whiskey’s Coffee Bourbon.

Dirty Chai Basics

If you aren’t familiar with a Dirty Chai, it’s a coffeehouse drink that’s made by mixing steeped chai tea with a shot of espresso and steamed milk.  It’s got that kick of caffeine wrapped in the warm hug of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.  In short, it’s made for those of us who love fall spices but don’t want to go full-blown PSL.

Mixing up the Dirty Chai Old Fashioned

Now, when it’s 5 o’clock and you’re looking to mellow out rather than perk-up, that’s when you lean on mixing up my Dirty Chai Old Fashioned for a sophisticated, boozy coffee-chai cocktail.

My Dirty Chai Old Fashioned starts with an easy simple syrup that’s then used to steep chai tea bags.  I prefer Tazo Chai tea because personally, I think it has the best flavor.  It’s neither too gingery or cinnamony, just the perfect balance of all the traditional chai flavors.

Looking for more dirty chair inspiration? Check out my Dirty Chai Cupcakes.

Once the syrup has cooled, I use Devils River Whiskey’s new Coffee Bourbon, a cold-brew steeped bourbon, to bring in the necessary ‘shot of espresso’ expected in a Dirty Chai.  Stirred up with a squeeze of lemon and a few dashes of bitters and this cocktail is ready to go.

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned Pin

I prefer my old fashioned served with a large, ice cube that melts slowly and mellows out the drink but you can pour your Dirty Chai Old Fashioned over whatever kind of ice you’d like.

Happy sipping.

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • For the chai tea syrup:
  • 1 cup, sugar
  • 1 cup, water
  • 4 chai tea bags

  • [b]For the cocktail:
  • [/b]1.5-ounces chai tea syrup
  • 3-ounces Devils River Coffee Bourbon
  • 1-ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 3 dashes bitters
  • cinnamon stick, star anise, optional for garnish
Instructions
  1. For the chai tea syrup: Make the chai tea syrup by bringing the water and sugar to boil over high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and steep the tea bags in the syrup for 15 minutes. After 15-minutes, drain the tea bags, remove from the pot, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Store unused syrup in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-months
  2. Make the cocktail: To make the cocktail, place all of the ingredients in a whiskey glass and stir clockwise 40 times until all ingredients are combined. Top with ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick or star anise as desired.

 

 

 

 

Autumn Morning Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts

by

Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts wrap all your favorite fall flavors into a breakfast appropriate treat perfect for cozy autumn mornings.

Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts frosted

Sometimes my baking adventures are inspired by something I eat.  Other times, they’re inspired by a tool or a new piece of bakeware. And in the case of these baked chai pumpkin donuts with maple glaze, it was a little bit of both.

These donuts were inspired by a recent cake from Half Baked Harvest that I made for dinner with friends.  Eating the cake, all I could think about was how tasty the flavor combination would be as a breakfast treat.

Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts baked

I was obsessively thinking about the spicey chai and fall pumpkin flavors being dipped into a steamy, creamy cup of coffee when I happened across the most precious donut pan while wandering around Target.  In this serendipitous moment, I made the impulse purchase and went straight home to whip up these cute little chai pumpkin donuts.  Along with the impulse donut pan purchase, I also scooped up this #squashgoals spatula for a little orange flair in my kitchen.

Squash Goals Spatula

While this donut recipe was 100% inspired by Half Baked Harvest, I revised the spice flavorings some and modified the structure of the batter to make the donuts a little sturdier and less cake-like by swapping full eggs for egg whites.  After all, these donuts need to withstand the necessary coffee dunk! 

Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts Detailed view

Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts mid-frosting

While I was 100% delighted with the end result of the chai pumpkin donuts I was slightly disappointed with my donut mold.  The donuts released cleanly from the mold after cooling a bit on the counter.  However, the mold has intricate details that were lost during the baking process and further covered by the maple frosting.

Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts close up

Enjoy these donuts! They’d make a great fall breakfast or brunch treat. And if you’re looking for other pumpkin treats, check out my salted caramel apple pavlova or pumpkin spice scones.

Maple Frosted Chai Pumpkin Donuts
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 18 donuts
Ingredients
  • For the donuts:
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree

  • For the frosting:
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons half & half
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon maple extract, optional (but it adds extra maple flavor)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350F and lightly grease your donut mold with a baking spray then set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together the coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and pumpkin puree. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until fully combined.
  4. Place the mixture into a large piping bag and use it to fill the donut molds to about two-thirds full.
  5. Bake the donuts for 15-17 minutes, until a cake pin inserted into the donut comes out clean.
  6. Allow the donuts to cool for 5-10 minutes then remove them from the pan, placing them in a wire cooling rack.
  7. Repeat the process, filling the mold again with the remaining batter (don't forget to clean & grease your mold in between bakes).
  8. While the donuts are baking, make the maple glaze, you're looking for it to be the consistency of hair gel, which makes it the perfect thickness for dipping.
  9. While the donuts are slightly warm, dip the top of them into the glaze and place them back onto the rack. Wait a 2-3 minutes and dip them a second time for an extra-thick glaze.
  10. Donuts can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

 

Dirty Chai Cupcakes — Chai Spiced Cake with Espresso Frosting

by

Dirty Chai Cupcakes combine the best of both worlds with chai latte cakes swirled with creamy, espresso buttercream frosting and topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean!

These Dirty Chai Cupcakes were inspired by a friend who’s a fan the Dirty Chai butter coffee at Picnik — a local, Austin-based food truck (and now brick & mortar) that specializes in food that accommodates all dietary restrictions. Truthfully, these cupcakes don’t have any special dietary accommodations. In fact, they only accommodate those who love coffee and crave cupcakes.

If this sounds like you, read on!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Never heard of a Dirty Chai?

It’s the best of both worlds, combining the dessert like spices of a chai latte with the toasty notes of espresso. Think sweet, creamy & caffeine!

The cake in these Dirty Chai Cupcakes is made with a parade of spices — cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, clove, nutmeg and a dash of black pepper for a hint of spiciness and warmth. This combined with the caramelly, molasses notes of brown sugar bring a subtle, toasted sweetness to the Dirty Chai Cupcakes. A friend who tasted these cupcakes mentioned they’d be great sans the frosting as a chai breakfast muffin!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Bake the Cupcakes!

These Dirty Chai Cupcakes bake up thick and chewy yet moist! The key to these cupcakes is the addition of an apple cider vinegar & baking soda mixture added just before scooping the batter into cups for baking.

Much like in science class, mixing these two ingredients together forms a quick reaction and a mass of bubbles. Adding the bubbling vinegar and baking soda mixture to the batter creates air within the cake when it bakes, allowing the cupcakes to rise up and bake into fluffy, Dirty Chai Cupcake masterpieces!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Whip up the frosting!

Since you can’t have Dirty Chai Cupcakes without some sort of coffee involved, I’ve topped these delicious chai cakes with rich, creamy espresso flavored frosting. To make this frosting, I created a high-concentrated instant coffee mixture that’s drizzled into the buttercream as it’s mixing. The coffee flavor has the rich notes of espresso without any bitterness.

To bring an extra jolt of coffee flavor, these Dirty Chai Cupcakes are topped with a simple chocolate covered espresso beans!  This small dark chocolate bean also adds a beautiful contrast to the espresso colored frosting and a hint of class to the Dirty Chai Cupcakes.

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Perfect for Fall!

My Dirty Chai cupcakes are the perfect afternoon treat paired with a cup of coffee. Their chai spice flavor is on par for the Autumn season and they’re a bit of a change up from the traditional ol’ Pumpkin Spice hype this time of year!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

5.0 from 4 reviews
Dirty Chai Cupcakes -- Chai Spiced Cake with Espresso Frosting
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Dirty Chai Cupcakes are the best of both worlds, combining the dessert like spices of a chai latte with the toasty notes of espresso.
Serves: 32
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk (1%, 2% or Whole)
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon clove
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar*
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup shortening
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee
  • 4 tablespoons warm milk
  • dark chocolate espresso beans, optional for decorating
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F
  2. Line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside
  3. Before making the cake, prepare the coffee for the frosting by whisking together the instant coffee and warm milk. Once mixed, set aside to cool.
  4. To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, clove, nutmeg, black pepper and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  5. In a stand mixer, add 1 cup softened butter and beat on high for 2-3 minutes
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add both sugars and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  7. Cream on high for an additional 1-2 minutes
  8. Scrape down the sides and one at a time, add in the eggs, mixing well before each new addition
  9. In separate additions, add the ⅓ of the flour mixture followed by ⅓rd of the milk mixing on medium speed between each new addition
  10. Once fully incorporated scrape down the sides and prepare the baking soda & vinegar mixture
  11. In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and vinegar, quickly, while it's still bubbling pour the mixture into the batter and mix together on medium speed
  12. Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (makes ~32 cupcakes total)
  13. Bake for 19-20 minutes
  14. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow cakes to cool completely before frosting
  15. To make the frosting, cream 1 cup softened butter and ½ cup shortening on high for 2-3 minutes
  16. In 1 cup additionals, add in the confectioner's sugar
  17. After 4 cups, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
  18. With the mixer on low drizzle in the cooled coffee extract
  19. Add in the remaining confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached
  20. To frost the cupcakes, place the frosting in a piping bag with a star tip
  21. Cupcakes will keep 2-3 days, covered at room temperature
Notes
* I used 7 cups as I prefer a stiffer frosting to pipe with