Thai Iced Milk Tea Popsicles

Instructions

1. Brew the tea
   In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the Thai tea bags or loose leaves and star anise (if using). Allow to steep for 5 minutes. The tea should be very strong as it will be diluted later.
2. Sweeten the tea
   While the tea is still hot, add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. If using loose tea leaves, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature.
3. Mix in dairy ingredients
   In a large bowl, combine the cooled tea with sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt, and cardamom (if using). Whisk until all ingredients are well incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour into molds
   Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top to allow for expansion during freezing. Insert popsicle sticks and place in the freezer.
5. Freeze until solid
   Freeze the popsicles for at least 6 hours or overnight until completely solid. The high fat content from the dairy will make these popsicles creamy rather than icy.
6. Unmold and serve
   To remove popsicles from the molds, run the molds briefly under warm water to loosen. Gently pull the popsicles out by the sticks. Serve immediately or wrap individually in parchment paper and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 weeks.