Recipe Chai Cream Sanaa Animal Kingdom Lodge

Ingredients

5 1/3 plus 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping cream
1 Vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds removed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (1 ounce) envelope powdered gelatin
2 teaspoons Black chai tea, ground in a coffee or spice grinder
1 Cinnamon stick
6 Green cardamom pods
6 Whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate shavings (use cheese grater or vegetable peeler to shave from a solid bar)

Procedure

1. Combine 5 cups of cream, vanilla bean seeds and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Place 1/3 cup cream in a small bowl, and add powdered gelatin. Stir to mix.
3. When the cream-sugar mixture simmers, immediately remove from heat, and add tea, cinnamon, cardamom pods and peppercorns.
4. Let mixture steep for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water. Cover with plastic wrap and let steep and cool for 30 minutes.
5. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Freeze for 20 minutes, or until the mixture starts to thicken. (This additional cooling allows the gelatin to set slightly so the specks of tea remain in suspension instead of falling to the bottom of the glass.)
6. Divide mixture evenly among 8 (5 oz.) glasses or ramekins, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
7. Before serving, combine remaining 1/2 c. cream and powdered sugar into a large bowl. Whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Dollop whipped cream onto each glass, then sprinkle with semisweet chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.