Chai Cupcakes - My First and Last In Awhile

What does one do with a blend of Chai spices? Aside from the obvious of making Chai tea, I decided I had to try making Chai cupcakes at least once.

Perhaps age is really the neutralizer of all things icky.
I remember how I refused to touch the major aromatics such as garlic, ginger, chives. Needless to say, chai spices are on that banned list of foods as well.

However, as one grows older, it seems spices and such, are the indicators of a person's culinary skills. Knowing how to blend them together so that it isn't overly pungent, being able to control the strength of each herb/spice and ultimately, blending them in such a way that a whole different taste / scent emerges.

The indicators are the smells that waft through the kitchen into the living room, tantalizing awaiting guests, creating the hunger and anticipation. Now that I think about what I've just typed, it seems very much like a marriage. Finding the perfect partner, merging with our individual characters and finally, the wedding night where all is revealed. Ok Ok... shoot the writer, I've never been very prolific with descriptive writing. Perhaps it's the rain as well... hmmm yes. It must be the rain... haha!

With the Chai Cupcake... I've discovered that blending of spices to create a finished product, has very much to do with the individual tastes and risk appetite. What one perceives as just right, might be a little too choking for me.

In reality, the cupcakes tasted great to spice enthusiasts. albeit a little too sweet for the icing. Different but good. To me the closet spice-disliker, the pungency of the cupcakes were a little overpowering so much so that I cannot eat more than 1 chai cupcake in a month. I appreciate the experience, but I would think really hard before serving these to guests for there are only so many spice enthusiasts I know.

I now have bags and bags of spices stored away in the darkest recesses of my kitchen cabinet, where they will hopefully grow mold and I will be 'forced' to throw them away.

Here is my take on the Spice Cupcake and yes I do realise that a little more practice is needed for my piping skills. Perhaps like A, I'm just not cut out for delicate work: