Star Anise and Cinnamon Tea

Fuzzy Slippers Designs kindly gave me this elegant and petite TeaPosy Set (thanks Moriah!), which is perfect for stuffing with a variety of different spice blends and is small enough to keep the water hot in between refills. I like making my own tea from fresh herbs or selected leftover ingredients, as it yields a unique and subtle depth of flavor, and is a nice change from using prepared teabags. For this tea, I selected some star anise for its beautiful shape and pungent licorice notes, and a stick of cinnamon for its sweet and warm aura. I then added some bruised cardamom pods and finished it off with some whole cloves before steeping it in hot (not boiling) water. This spice blend immediately releases a beautiful aroma and each sip is laced with a subtly spicy flavor.