Oh the weather outside is frightful …. now that winter has arrived in Boston for real, the only civilized way to survive is with lots of hot beverages.  Here’s my favorite.

Ingredients:

4-½ cups water
1 stick cinnamon, crushed
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, chopped
7 whole cardamom pods
2 whole star anise pods
10 whole cloves
¼ teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
½ teaspoons nutmeg, freshly ground
1 teaspoon orange zest
10 teaspoons black tea, or 10 black tea bags
⅔ cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
Bring the water to a boil. Add the spices and tea, remove from heat and let steep 15-20 minutes, depending on how strong you want it. Strain and add the brown sugar, honey, and vanilla. Stir to combine.  Refrigerate.  Enjoy mixed approximately 1/3 to 2/3 with hot whole milk (steamed is nice!)

PS – I found this on the internet maybe a decade ago, and I have lost the original link.  If it’s yours, please let me know so I can credit you!