Toast the cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, and star anise over low heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Grind the cardamom pods, peppercorns, star anise, and cloves with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder/coffee grinder to your preferred grind. I like a medium-coarse grind. The finer you grind the spices, the more intense the flavor will be.
Add the ground spices back to the sauce pan along with the water and sliced ginger and bring to a boil. Simmer without lid for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add the black tea and the lid, and allow to steep covered for 10-15 minutes.
Strain the spiced tea into the Vitamix, or other high speed blender. Add the raw cashews and pitted dates and blend until completely smooth and frothy.
Pour into a mug and add the optional maple syrup, espresso, cinnamon and/or coconut whipped cream.
Notes
The fresher your spices, the better your chai will be.
If your medjool dates are harder or not very fresh, you can soften them in a separate bowl with boiling water for 10 minutes. You can also do this with the cashews if you are not using a high powered blender.