.: evil jungle prince :.

What happens when you fuse together the aromatic spices of Indian chai, black tea, and sweet bread? The answer is a delightfully spicy sweet bread which will knock your socks off in terms of its sheer flavor power.

At times I get cravings that demand immediate attention. Yesterday I heard a voice from somewhere deep witin my soul shout: chai! I had to have these flavors straight away, and as I began brewing my black tea I began to wonder what else might be made with that classic flavor combination of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, cream, and tea. As my tea brewed, I stumbled across this recipe.

1. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup (unmelted) butter. Beat until fluffy.

2. Mix in remaining ingredients: 2 eggs, 1/2 cup black tea, 1/3 cup milk (I used soy milk -- see below for reason), 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp ground cardomom, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 2 cups flour.

3. Bake at 400F for 50-60 mins or unti ltoothpick comes out clean. (For convection ovens, I suggest 380F and 40-50mins.)

By the way, you may have noticed that most of my dishes are dairy free, with the exception of recipes utilizing yogurt which I buy imported from Greece. This is intentional.

Recently I became aware of the fact that American milk producers now inject rBGH bovine growth hormone into milk producing cows in order to increase milk production. rBGH hormone is not destroyed by the pasteurization process and also causes mastitis in hormone-treated cattle, resulting in the contamination of milk with significant levels of pus. Mastitis requires the use of antibiotics to treat, which leaves residues that are also passed on through milk consumption. This is why American milk is banned in Europe.

I encourage everyone in the U.S. to learn more about the use of rBGH hormone in United States dairy farms, in order to come to your own enlightened conclusions. Do compare Codex Alimentarius Commission's opinions (i.e. the outside world's opinions) with the shameless propaganda produced by corporate lackeys at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.