It's not exactly plum season, but it's certainly chai season.
The traditional Indian tea has become popular the world over, where it's often erroneously referred to as "chai tea," which is repetitive. Chai is the name for tea, and everyone has an opinion about the best way to make and enjoy it.
Some cooks insist on making it from scratch with whole cardamom pods and fresh ginger, while others like the addition of cloves and cinnamon. Of course, there are plenty of tea lovers who are perfectly happy sipping on chai that you can make from what's in a tea bag.
If you're looking for a chai to make in your slow cooker this weekend, you'll find a recipe from the American Heart Association below, but for a real chai treat this weekend, check out the following plum chai pie recipe from Jerrelle Guy's "Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing" (Page Street Publishing, $21.99).
Guy grew up in Florida learning how to cook from her Southern grandmother. She now lives in Boston, where she writes the blog Chocolate for Basil, and her debut baking book is filled with decadent, nostalgic desserts and even some savory crackers, dips, pizzas and flatbreads.
For this flavorful pie, Guy takes several notable ingredients found in chai and pulverizes them into a powder. (You'll need a spice grinder or a powerful food processor for this task.) Note that Guy's pie recipe calls for starting with whole ingredients and the American Heart Association's uses already-ground spices and ginger. If you don't want to grind your own spices for the plum chai pie, please feel free to use estimated quantities of ground spices.
