Bubble Tea

I have never ordered this drink before at restaurants because they are always a lot of money for the small cup that you get. I always walk by this one smoothie place at my local mall and they advertise these drinks and they look so cool with dark bubbles of the bottom that I am always temped to pay the $5 for that small glass of bubble tea. I love Chai tea and if you love tea especially Chai tea than you will love this. I found the pearl tapioca at my local grocery store just ask around if you cannot find it. I had trouble finding it and when I asked the lady at the store, she immediately knew what I was talking about and took me to the tapioca pearls. Now I made this drink for a lunch I hosted at my house yesterday and they all loved it. I will be honest, these stores that sell Bubble tea are ripping you off!! I spent $2.50 for the box of pearl tapioca and that was enough for 4 quarts of tea. I doubled the syrup and tea recipe figuring that we would suck through the tea like it was a hot summer day, leaving me with none to enjoy later on. So if you have a big party coming up and you want to impress your guests or if you just want a spin on your average iced tea on a hot day, you should make this. Not only is it really cheap to make but it certainly is neat to look at.

• 7 cups water
• 1 (7-ounce) package pearl tapioca
• 10 black Chai tea bags
• 1 pint half-and-half
• Spiced Simple Syrup, recipe follows
• Straws
  

1. In a large pot, add the water and the pearl tapioca. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, then cover and cook for 16 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit another 15 minutes, covered.
   
2. Strain into a container and add 1/3 cup of the Spiced Simple Syrup. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the tea bags, let steep for 7 minutes and then remove. Allow the tea to cool.
4. When ready to serve, add 1/3 cup tapioca pearls, 1/3 cup half-and-half, and 1/4 cup spiced simple syrup to each glass. Serve with a wide barrel straw to get the pearls.

Spiced Simple Syrup:

• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
   
2. Strain the mixture into a glass jar and discard the cloves and cinnamon.
   
3. The syrup will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.