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Tea Recipes

3 Simple and Delicious Matcha Recipes You’ll Make Over And Over Again!

November 12, 2022

Matcha is a powder that is manufactured from specially grown green tea and is prepared using a traditional Japanese tea-making technique that dates back to the 12th century. In China and Japan, the process of preparing and drinking matcha, as well as serving and drinking it, is considered ceremonial, and the drink itself has gained popularity all over the world. Matcha has been compared to the protein powder used in the world of tea: Smoothies, baked goods, yogurt, and just about anything else you can think of are all wonderful candidates for its incorporation. You’ve probably heard of matcha, a sort of green tea that is pounded into a fine powder and has a flavor described as having hints of earth, spinach, and umami. You are aware that it is said to be beneficial to your health: It is strong in antioxidants, just like traditional green tea (that is, the leaves-in-a-bag type), but because it is a powder, you wind up swallowing the full leaf, and as a result, more nutrients—at least, that is what many people speculate. But what in the world are you supposed to do with it? Matcha is traditionally consumed by adding water that has been brought to a boil and then whisking the mixture with a bamboo whisk until it becomes frothy. However, that is only the beginning of things to come. Matcha has been compared to the protein powder used in the world of tea: Smoothies, baked goods, yogurt, and just about anything else you can think of are all wonderful candidates for its incorporation. In this collection of recipes, we have included a few of our favorite ways to prepare food with matcha, we hope you enjoy making these recipes as much as we do! 

  1. Matcha White Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

  • Matcha Powder
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 4 oz white chocolate

Recipe:

  • Sift matcha powder into a double boiler and whisk in 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Add white chocolate and 3 more tablespoons cream. Melt chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring. Remove from heat and cool, stirring periodically, for 15 minutes.
  • Beat remaining heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold the leftover whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate 4 small dishes for 2 hours.
  • Serve fresh, add whipped cream, white chocolate shavings, or berries.
  1. Matcha Coated Almonds 

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of almonds
  • 60g dark chocolate
  • 1 tbsp matcha powder

Recipe:

  • Line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
  • You can melt the dark chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. If you like, you can temper the chocolate.
  • After adding almonds to chocolate that has been melted, give the mixture a good swirl so that the almonds are evenly coated in chocolate.
  • Spread the almonds out on the prepared baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Take special care to maintain the separation of one component from the others.
  • If you are using tempered chocolate, you should let the chocolate set at room temperature. If you are using chocolate that has not been tempered, allow it to harden in the refrigerator.
  • When the chocolate has cooled and hardened, place the almonds in a container that has a lid and sprinkle the matcha powder on top. Put the lid back on the jar and shake it vigorously until each almond is covered in matcha.
  • Voila, you have a perfectly healthy snack filled with matcha goodness. 
  1. Matcha Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

Recipe:

  • In a dish, combine the chia seeds and the non-dairy milk, making sure to break up any clusters of chia seeds that may have formed. In a second bowl, whisk together the matcha powder and the warm water, and mix until smooth.
  • After thoroughly combining the matcha mixture, maple syrup, and vanilla with the chia seed mixture, place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill for at least two and a half to four hours, or for as long as overnight.
  • When you are ready to have your matcha chia seed pudding, I highly recommend garnishing it with some of your favorite fresh fruit, granola, almonds, or a dollop of non-dairy yogurt. Alternatively, you could also try serving it with a spoonful of chia seed pudding.

We have curated some of our favorite recipes with matcha, which are not only healthy but also really simple and easy to make. We’re hoping you get to try them and fall in love as much as we did! Let us know your favorite in the comments below and share it with a loved one. Give them a push to try a healthy but really yummy match recipe…maybe even this weekend?!

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Tea Recipes

5 Tea-Infused Desserts You’ll Love in 2022

January 24, 2022

Tea is delicious on it’s own and pretty much good any time of the day, but imagine it’s infusion into decadent desserts that will leave you wanting more! That’s why infusing teas like earl grey have risen to popularity as of late. Tea maintains its delicate, floral flavor when cooked or baked, adding an extra level of sophistication and taste to your favorite treats. In this article, we dive into the top five tasty tea-based desserts that you can enjoy at your next gathering, event, or slow Tuesday afternoon! 

1. Wattleseed-Infused Custards With Jam Drop Biscuits 

This dessert pairing can be assembled with few ingredients and a streamlined cooking process — featuring the rich and decadent chocolate-nutty tastes of Wattleseed. This taste tea-turned-coffee staple from Australia boosts your dessert into a more exotic, delectable class of its own, pairing well with the fruity notes of your jam drop biscuits. These are delicious to enjoy as a standalone dessert for any occasion, or alongside your favorite cup of black tea. The notes and flavors are complementary and offer you a delicious pairing and mouthfeel. The recipe was popularized by Chef Devlin of Halcyon House as he developed a menu for the perfect summer gathering. 

2. Thai Tea Cheesecake With a Chocolate Crumb Crust 

This delightful “un-bake” dessert will have you captivated with its luscious, delicate flavor infusion of Thai tea coupled with tangy, traditional dairy-like tastes of the cheesecake. The versatility of this dessert is what makes it a well-known favorite, thanks to its ability to adapt to dairy and gluten-free substitutions. This makes for the perfect refreshing summer dish, as it requires no baking and leaves you with the feeling of cool, crisp refreshment with each bite. The short ingredients list and the easy assembly make this one of our favorite tea-infused desserts on the list! 

3. Frosted Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles

If you’ve been looking for all of the tastes and nostalgia of fall in a single dessert…this is the dessert for you. Chai is notoriously known for its delightful herbal bouquet and cloyingly sweet undertones, making this the perfect addition to these gently spiced cookies. You can enjoy the scents and flavors of the season with each bite, pairing this dessert with a well-brewed cup of masala chai for double the experience. The texture of the cookie is a soft, chunky crumble that melts in your mouth with each delicious bite. You can take it a step farther and dip the cookie in either frosting or chai for an even more cakey experience. These are the perfect handheld desserts for any dinner party or gathering, and can leave your guests feeling festive and ready to welcome the change of season! 

4.  Earl Grey Infused Tea Cake

This delicious, fragrant tea cake is the perfect, versatile dish for busy mornings or an afternoon pick-me-up. Earl Grey is arguably one of the most comforting and common teas that you can find on any shelf of the grocery store, making this one of the most accessible desserts on our list. You can pair this delectable cake with honey, your favorite tea, or of course; a hot cup of steaming Earl Grey. The moist, cakey crumble that this cake offers with each bite is tantalizing when paired with the gentle, fragrant notes of the tea. You can double down on the taste and undertones by creating your own tea-infused frosting or glaze!  This recipe is quick to assemble and features an attractively short ingredients list, making this an easy treat to indulge in any time of the week. Get ready to wow your guests with moist, delicious, and delicate Earl Grey-infused cake! 

5. Southern Sweet Tea Cookies 

When you think of sweet tea, you normally then think of the sticky-sweet summers of the deep South, and the natural beauty surrounding you. These cookies are thick with the flavor of the South in the summer, boasting a rich and luxurious, sugary-sweet icing and flavor profile. Get ready to enjoy your pitcher of sweet tea in a whole new way with these easy-to-bake cookies! Refreshingly lemony, minty, and of course, honey hive sweet, these are perfect for your next summer gathering or dinner party. You can sit down and enjoy these cookies any time of year, best pairing them with lemon or mint-based tea to make those flavors pop!

  

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Tea Recipes

3 Tea Infused Desserts to Try

August 23, 2021

Tea infused desserts are here to stay, so why not try one. Switch up your dessert palate and add tea for an exciting change. Below you’ll find 3 of our favorite tea infused desserts.

Picture via The Gingered Whisk

Earl Grey Tea Infused Lemon Bars (via The Gingered Whisk)

Take a modern twist on everyone’s favorite summer lemon bar by adding earl grey tea to your recipe. Everyone loves a good lemon bar, so why not add something new to the mix. The sweet tangy taste of lemon combined with the subtle citrus aroma from the earl grey tea creates a perfect custard to accent the crunchy taste of the shortbread. Our earl grey tea is our favorite to use for this recipe as it provides a delicate blend of large leaf black teas and features oil of Bergamot.

All of the ingredients for this simple earl grey infused lemon bar can be found at your local grocery store. First, you’ll start with your shortbread.

Shortbread Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ cups of flour
  • 1/3 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tsp of Salt
  • 1 Tsp Loose Leaf Earl Grey tea
  • 8 Tbsp of chilled butter cut into smaller pieces

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Combine together the flour, sugar, and 1 tsp of tea leaves until they are fully combined and then add salt for a bit of a flavored accent.
  3. Press the butter squares into your baking pan and add the ingredients on top of the butter.
  4. Let it bake for 19 minutes or until lightly browned.

Custard Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tsp of Loose-Leaf Earl Grey tea
  • 2 Tbsp of flour
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • ½ tsp of baking powder
  • 2 tsp of lemon zest
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp of powdered sugar

Instructions:

  1. Microwave the lemon juice on high for 30 seconds in a medium microwavable bowl.
  2. Add 1 tsp of loose-leaf earl grey tea to the heated lemon juice and let the combination steep for 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk together sugar, flour, and baking powder in another bowl.
  4. Add the eggs, lemon zest, and sugar to the heated lemon juice combination after the 10 minutes are over and mix until combined.
  5. Combine the juice mixture with the sugar mixture and whisk until fully combined.
  6. Pour the filling onto the hot shortbread and bake for 23 minutes or until set.
  7. Allow the lemon bars to cool for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is over, dust the bars with powdered sugar and enjoy your tasty treat.
Picture via Just One Cookbook

Matcha White Chocolate Cookies (via Just One Cookbook)

Not only is Matcha high in antioxidants, like many other green teas, and boosts your immune system, but it can also be a tasty addition to any dessert. Hop on the matcha dessert trend and test these Matcha White Chocolate Cookies. These buttery and crispy texture of these cookies are perfect to enjoy with your afternoon cup of tea. Although Matcha is not apart of our online collection of teas, there are plenty of other green teas to check out to include in other recipes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ Tbsp of matcha green tea powder
  • ¾ cup of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar
  • Sea salt
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • ¼ cup of white chocolate chips

Instructions:

  1. Whisk together the flour and matcha green tea powder in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Sift the combination to ensure there are no chunks.
  3. Add the unsalted butter to this combination and blend it together until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency.
  4. Add a pinch of sea salt and continue blending.
  5. In a separate bowl, add the powdered sugar and egg yolks and mix until well combined.
  6. Combine these two mixtures for a thick, doughy consistency.
  7. Add the white chocolate chips and mix until dispersed in the combination.
  8. Take the doughy combination out of the bowl and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in half and roll into 2 cylinders.
  9. Wrap the cylinders in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm. This should take around 2 hours.
  10. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  11. Cut the cylinders into 1/3 inches thick rounds and place them on your baking sheet.
  12. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Let them cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy them with a cup of your favorite tea.
Picture via Honest & Truly

Chai Tea Scones (via Honest & Truly)

Fall is just around the corner, and chai tea is always a fall favorite. Enjoy a chai tea scone to remind you of the festive and flavorful tastes of fall.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of milk
  • 2 bags of chai tea
  • 10 Tbsp of butter
  • 2 cups of flour
  • 1 ½ cups of oats
  • 1/3 cups of sugar
  • 1 Tbsp of baking soda
  • 1 Tsp of cinnamon
  • ¼ Tsp of cardamom
  • ½ Tsp of ginger
  • ½ Tsp of salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cups of powdered sugar

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Heat your milk and two bags of chai tea in a small saucepan. Let this simmer for 6 minutes.
  3. Combine the flour, sugar, oatmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and salt in a mixing bowl and mix until fully combined.
  4. Remove the tea bags from the heated milk and squeeze to get out all of the rich flavor.
  5. In a separate bowl, add milk, an egg, and the heated butter and mix together.
  6. Combine the two mixtures.
  7. Once a doughy consistency is achieved, place the dough on a rolling pan and roll it out.
  8. Cut the dough into your desired shape and bake for 10-13 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
  9. For a yummy drizzle, combine powdered sugar, the remaining chai infused milk and stir.
  10. Allow the cooked scones to cool for 3-5 minutes and then drizzle on top of your cooked scones and you are ready to enjoy this fall flavored scone.

Adding tea to dessert can be a fun twist for any recipe. We hope these tea-infused desserts please all of our sweet-tooth readers. Take your tea-time to the next level and try one of these tasty desserts today. Our vast collection of loose leaf tea gives you room to experiment with your own tea-infused dessert.

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Tea Recipes

7 Tea-Spiked Chocolate Desserts for Valentine’s Day

February 12, 2018

Roses, hearts, and chocolate are the three pillars of Valentine’s Day planning. This year, bake your valentine a unique kind of chocolate dessert—a tea-infused chocolate dessert. In brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and tarts, tea and chocolate are a perfect pair, just like you and your valentine. Sweeten your night this February 14th with one of these recipes:

1) Earl Grey Chocolate Pots de Crème

These pots de crème from Gourmande are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and downright delicious. Described as “super silky” and “dark and complex,” the author promises that “each spoonful is plush and velvety like the center of a good chocolate truffle.” Prep time is 20 minutes, and cook time is 25 minutes, making these treats an easy-to-make choice for your Valentine’s Day dessert.

2) Vegan Strawberry Matcha Brownie Tarts with Coconut Whipped Cream

These tarts from The Baking Spoon are adorable, and incorporate two Valentine’s Day must-haves: strawberries and whipped cream. A brownie shell is filled with matcha cream filling and topped with coconut whipped cream and a strawberry garnish for a bite-sized, picture-perfect dessert that will delight and impress your date. As a bonus, the recipe is vegan, and uses healthy substitutes like carob powder, maple syrup, and cashews for unnatural sweeteners.

3) Double Chocolate Irish Tea Infused Oat Muffins

Present your valentine with a basket of these muffins from Half Baked Harvest to score major points this year. The recipe calls for 2 black tea bags, maple syrup, steel cut oats, and dark chocolate, among other ingredients. Prep and cook time combined equals about 30 minutes, and yields 18 muffins. Since they’re muffins, you can also eat these chocolate desserts for breakfast!

4) Chocolate Dipped Tea Infused Shortbread Cookies

These cookies from Dish It Girl require just a few ingredients to pack a sweet punch. The author used Puerh Indulgence Good Earth Tea to spice up shortbread, grinding the tea leaves into a fine powder in the food processor before combining them with the cookie batter. Dipped in fudgy chocolate, these tea-infused shortbread cookies are great with a hot cuppa and a serving of fruit.

5) Green Tea Filled Oreo Cookies

These cookies from The Chocolate Bottle have a cakey texture, thanks to the use of Devil’s Food Cake mix. Green tea, cream cheese, and sugar combine forces to make a sweet, tea-infused filling. Dip each cookie sandwich in chocolate for an extra dose of chocolate!

6) Chocolate Cake with Tea-Infused Berry Frosting

This beautiful cake recipe from Beginning with Bergamot is perfect if you and your better half have big appetites. Treat yourselves to a generous slice (or two) on Valentine’s Day, and then share it the rest of the week to make Valentine’s Day last a little longer this year. This recipe’s tea-infused berry frosting makes this chocolate cake standout, and the strawberries and raspberries that top it make for a picture-worthy dessert hour.

7) Earl Grey Chocolate Tart

This tart recipe from Pemberley Cup and Cakes uses two tea bags’ worth of Earl Grey tea to spice up the chocolate ganache filling. Paired with a sweet tart crust, this dessert will satisfy any sweet tooth this Valentine’s Day.

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Tea Guides

10 Teas That Are Basically Dessert

January 17, 2017

Looking for a dessert that satisfies your sweet tooth but doesn’t break the scale? These 10 teas hit all the right notes when you’re trying to stay healthy and treat your taste buds. Ditch the cheesecake and boil any of these teas when you get the urge to indulge:

1) Snowball Tea

This tea from Blue Bird Tea Company mixes chocolate, marshmallows, and coconut with Ceylon black tea to create a delectable dessert tea. Buy it bagged or loose leaf.  Side effects include the urge to start an actual snowball fight.

2) Bananas & Custard Tea

This tea from Blue Bird Tea Company pairs green tea with freeze-dried bananas, cocoa, and licorice for a custard imitation that tastes great and goes down easy.

3) Mint Chocolate Rooibos Tea

Roobios tea gets cozy with chocolate sprinkles, cocoa, and vanilla to make this delicious dessert brew. With zero calories, this is a dieter’s delight.

4) Vicky’s Sponge Cake Tea

This tea from Blue Bird Tea Company gets its inspiration from Queen Victoria, who’s said to have enjoyed her cup of tea alongside a slice of cake. Why not combine the two? This blend marries Ceylon black tea with the flavors of vanilla cake and raspberry, with notes of coconut and strawberry along for the ride.

5) Strawberry Cuppa Chocolate Tea

This zero-calorie tea from The Republic of Tea uses rooibos tea as a base for strawberry and chocolate flavors to mingle. Featured on The Today Show as a Top 10 Skinny Food for dieters, this South African tea also features sweet blackberry leaves and bourbon vanilla beans for extra kick.

6) Almond Coconut Macaroon Red Tea

This tea from Republic of Tea will let you feel like you’re sipping a macaroon, and since it has zero calories, you’ll do so guilt-free. Red rooibos tea provides the base for almond, coconut, and macaroon flavors to thrive in this delicious concoction.

7) Cardamom Crème Brûlée Tea

This tea from Republic of Tea calls crème brûlée its muse. Black tea kicks things off and enters dessert territory with infusions of sweet blackberry leaves, caramel and vanilla flavors, and spicy cardamom seeds. Just add water, and this premium tea from Kenya is sure to satisfy.

8) Tiramisu Black Tea

This tea from Teavana delivers the classic Italian dessert to your cup. Black tea merges with flavors of mocha, mascarpone, and vanilla to bring the creamy, delectable flavors of tiramisu to every sip.

9) Apple Pie à la Mode Herbal Tea

There’s nothing as American as apple pie. But America could stand to get healthier, so reach for this apple pie-inspired tea from Teavana instead. This after-dinner treat is made from pieces of real apple, carob, rose hips, raisins, rooibos, caramel, white hibiscus, licorice root, cardamom, and marigold petals. You’ll taste fall in every sip.

10) Carrot Cake Rooibos Tea 

This tea from Fusion Teas blends sweet and spicy flavors together for a satisfying cup of tea that emulates carrot cake. Organic rooibos provides the base, with maple, coconut, ginger, raisin, walnut, cinnamon, and carrots providing welcome bursts of flavor.

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Tea Recipes

5 Classic Holiday Desserts With a Tea Twist

December 1, 2016

As the winter holidays approach, parties abound at work, home, and friends’ apartments, which means there are plenty of opportunities to bake. Partygoers are surely looking forward to classic desserts like apple pie and Sufganiyot, but why not delight their taste buds with a tea surprise? Here are 5 recipes that add tea to the classic holiday desserts you and your fellow party animals will relish:

1) Green Tea Gingerbread Cookies

Green tea gives these gingerbread cookies from Eat Green Tea a little something extra. Start by mixing green tea leaves and butter over heat for about ten minutes, then stir in add molasses and chocolate. Add flour, brown sugar, baking soda and powder, milk, salt, and ginger to create dough. Chill the dough, and then cut into gingerbread men (or women!) before popping in the oven. Decorate as you wish with icing, and enjoy!

2) Chai Sufganiyot with Orange-Pumpkin Buttercream

Hannukah Donuts enjoy notes of chai in this recipe from Chowhound.  One chai tea bag joins cinnamon, cardamom, salt, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, eggs, butter, and flour to make the donuts themselves. A tasty orange-pumpkin buttercream  filling seals these donuts’ spot in innovative territory.

3) Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

Green tea gives these shortbread cookies from Smitten Kitten a holiday makeover, and white chocolate filling offers a snowy accent. Mix unsweetened green tea powder with flour, salt, sugar, butter, and almond extract to create a yummy dough ready for your favorite holiday cookie cutters. The green dough is a perfect candidate for cookie trees, leaves, and wreaths, but who wouldn’t love a green snowman cookie?

4) Black Tea Apple Pie

This recipe from Sift and Whisk adds black tea to classic apple pie. Pour black tea over apple slices and then let them dry before baking them into the pie. According to the author, “The tea flavor in this pie is very light and only peeks out every few bites or so.” That means it’s a great candidate for an audience expecting a classic but is open to a little adventure.

5) Chocolate Matcha Babka

Babka typically enjoys extras like walnuts or raisins, but for maximum holiday cheer, follow this recipe from Aloha Belly and add chocolate and matcha to the sweet yeast treat. This recipe requires you to plan ahead, as the dough must rise overnight. Plus, working with yeast is not especially easy. But if you’re feeling more ambitious than buying a store-bought mix, roll up your sleeves and attempt this tea-infused babka.

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Tea Recipes

5 Recipes That Use Tea in Baked Goods

November 29, 2016

Dessert has become a way for chefs to showcase their creativity and reflect changing consumer preferences. From substituting avocado for butter to mashups like the cronut, dessert has become a delicious playground that promises innovation and sweet-tooth satisfaction. Consumers are more adventurous than ever, open to trying flavors from all over the globe in unexpected formats. Chefs are capitalizing on that by using tea leaves as an ingredient in desserts. From cookies and brownies to pie and cakes, tea isn’t just something you sip in between bites of dessert. It is the dessert. Here’s five baked goods recipes that put tea at the forefront:

1) White Chocolate Matcha Brownies

Green Eggs and Ham comes to mind with this recipe from blog Chocolate + Connie, which combines the star power of matcha and white chocolate to make unique green and white brownies. Flour, matcha powder, and melted white chocolate mix with milk, butter, sugar, and eggs to make the batter. White Chocolate chips add an extra dose of sweet texture to these yummy treats. Would you eat them in a house? Would you eat them with a mouse? Would you eat them after dinner? We think yes, ‘cause they’re a winner.

2) Hibiscus Tea and Poppy Seed Shortbread

Hibiscus tea infuses butter to kick off this recipe from Sprinkle Bakes. Start by heating unsalted butter in a saucepan and add hibiscus tea leaves, turning your butter a lovely shade of reddish pink. Pour this red mixture through a sieve and tea towel into a bowl. Cool the mixture in the refrigerator until it’s somewhat firm. Then combine it with sugar, vanilla, flour water, salt, and poppy seeds to make non-sticky dough. Pop the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll it out and cut into whatever shapes your heart desires. Transfer your shapes in the oven, and then prepare your taste buds for a scrumptious batch of shortbread cookies.

3) Sweet Tea Pie

It’s pretty common to chase a hunk of pie down with a cup of tea. Why not put tea in the pie? That’s just what this Sweet Tea Pie recipe from Tasting Table does. The filling includes two orange pekoe (black) tea bags’ worth of tea, along with cornmeal, butter, eggs, sugar and flower. Sweet tea is a staple of the South, but we think this pie will resonate with taste buds from sea to shining sea.

4) Jasmine Shortbread Sandwiches with Grapefruit Curd

Jasmine tea makes these cookies from Martha Stewart stand out. The jasmine “lends a sweet, floral balance to the tart grapefruit-curd filling,” according to domestic guru’s site. The jasmine tea blends with butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt to make shortbread dough, which is then baked into cookies that sandwich a delectable sour grapefruit filling. This recipe takes over 4 hours, but it’s sure to provide you with a unique, tasty treat and bragging rights for days.

5) Chai Shortbread Cookies with Sea Salt

The basic flavors of chai—cinnamon and cardamom—are a perfect candidate for your sweet-tooth post-dinner needs. And these chai shortbread cookies with chocolate and sea salt from Foodie Crush fire on all cylinders. Simply adding a tablespoon of fine ground chai tea to shortbread batter infuses the dough with auspicious notes of chai. Once the cookies are baked, dip them in chocolate chip ganache and sprinkle them with sea salt for a finish that adds extra flavor, texture, and a definite “WOW” factor.

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Tea Recipes

How to Pair Tea with Food

January 6, 2016

Those who enter in the world of pairings are entering a new dimension of taste.

Knowing which foods pair well with particular teas is a fine art. Food pairing is often portrayed as a staple of the high class and the cultured living. Although the world of wine pairing may be the more popular, the world of tea and food pairings has plenty to offer.

Pairing can bring out particular flavors out of both the food and the tea. It’s as much a hobby as it is a treat. Here are a few combinations to introduce you to the world of tea and food pairings.

Meats

Meat is a particularly diverse category for tea pairing. Much of the decision comes down to not what type of meat you pair it with, such as pork or chicken or fish. Rather, it is much more important to consider how the meat is seasoned and what method is used to cook it.

For example a lemon-herb chicken may pair great with darjeeling or oolong tea, while a fried chicken would pair better with assam or nilgiri for its briskness and mildly malty taste.

For grilled meats dragonwell tea would be ideal due to its toasty aroma. When looking for teas to pair with meats you’re looking for a tea with more intensity and flavor to compliment the meats.

Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies require a much lighter tea than their meat counterparts. While heavier teas such as gunpowder and dragonwell tend to go great with a large diversity of meats, a softer and lighter tea would benefit the fruits and veggies best.

Remember, you’re looking for a tea that’s fragrant and potentially floral, and refreshing. I find that white teas work best for those criteria. Peaches and apricots are a popular fruit to pair with white tea. I would also recommend making a cucumber salad, pairing it with your favorite white tea, and adding a few tiny drops of honey for the smallest bit of sweetness.

If you’re looking for something a bit stronger than white I’d highly recommend oolong tea, especially for apricots.

Deserts

There is tremendous diversity in the desert world. Darjeeling tea tends to go great a variety of cream deserts, from cheesecake to crème brûlée (that’s always my first choice). With chocolate cake, you ought to select a heavier tea.

For a basic chocolate cake a smoky black tea would be phenomenal. A simple earl grey would pair great here. However it would be best not to pair a black tea with an especially sweet chocolate. In that situation I would reach for a light oolong tea to not overpower the sweetness and to bring out the flavors in both the oolong and the chocolate.

Something with a strong vanilla flavor would pair great with Ceylon, which brings out the full-bodied flavor of the crylon.

Herbs and spices

If you feel like getting creative with your pairings use these as a quick guide to flavors: Assam and yunnan go great with chilis, while sencha and gunpowder pair fantastically with garlic.

The refreshing flavor of mint is really brought out by darjeeling and yuny ting oolong. Cinnamon, a staple of teas thanks of its warm aroma is complimented by yunnan, assam, and autumnal darjeeling.

Cheese

Although cheese and wine pairings are absolute staples of upper-class eating, there are plenty of tea and cheese pairings that are worth exploring.

The smoothness and creaminess would blend superbly with various teas. Kathy Yl Chan at Eater.com recommends the following pairings: white tea + ricotta, green tea + Flory’s Truckle cheddar, oolong + Ewephoria sheep milk gouda and Fromager d’Affinois, black tea + chiriboga blue, matcha + tomme crayeuse.

All of these sound like great opportunities to refine your pallet and experience new taste combinations.

Alcohol

This one may seem strange at first. What do you do, pour the booze in with the tea? Should you have a shot of alcohol at the ready or a glass on the side? Either, really.

And actually, I’m a fan of pouring the booze in with the tea, so long as you make sure to not overpower the tea.

However the more refined and experienced drinkers might use the sipping method. A smoky drink like brandy would pair fantastically with a smoky tea. An English breakfast tea would work extremely well here.

For the more daring tea lovers, it’s said that an ideal tea-alcohol pairing is lapsang enjoyed with either a port or a chardonnay brings out the best of both drinks.

Umami

This is a personal favorite of mine. For those unfamiliar, umami is said to be the fifth flavor, the other four being sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness. It is most often found is in the controversial additive MSG, which has an unfair but understandable reputation of being unhealthy or potentially harmful.

Regardless of its controversy, it is delicious. And anyone who attempts to pair tea with umami is in for a treat.

I tend to go for the traditional approach, pairing sushi with a classic green tea, but you can go with anything from California rolls to my absolute favorite: the crunchy roll! The green tea and the umami in the sushi will combine into a particularly savory taste. It’s an absolute treat.

So if you have a salty, sweet or salty-sweet palate any of these tea and food pairings will do the trick. They’re especially fun to try at a house warming party, birthday or an quiet evening at home!

Feel free to mix and match and let us know what pairings worked best for you!

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Tea Health Benefits

6 Ways to Use Tea that Doesn’t Involve Drinking It

December 29, 2015
There are many benefits to drinking tea, but did you know you can get some of those same benefits by using it in a different way? Below are a few creative ways to repurpose those tea leaves and tea bags you’ve already steeped. It’s both sustainable and easy to incorporate into your everyday life.

1. Hydrating face mask

You’ll need:
  • 2 tbsp green tea leaves
  • 1 tbsp mashed banana
  • 1 tsp plain yogurt
  • 1 cup water

Instructions:

  • Mix 1 cup of water in a pan and 2 tbsp of green tea leaves.
  • Boil it in the low flame for few minutes.
  • Allow it few minutes to cool and then strain the tea.
  • Add 1 tbsp of banana and 1 tsp of plain yogurt to the green tea.
  • Mix the ingredients well to make a smooth paste.
  • Apply the paste to your face and leave it on for 20 minutes.
  • Wash off with cool water.
  • Repeat this method twice or thrice in a week.
  • Follow this remedy till you get relief from this acne issue.
Note: You can replace banana with peach or papaya.

2. Acne fighting mask

Green tea has antibacterial properties and honey does as well. This combination plus the rice will help reduce oils and bacteria on the skin, which will reduce acne.

You’ll beed:
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp rice flour
  • 1 tbsp or 1 green tea bag
  • 3-4 drops of lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:

  • Take ½ cup of boiling water and boil the green tea powder in it.
  • Add 1 tbsp of honey to the mixture.
  • Add 2 tbsp of rice flour to make a thick paste.
  • Increase the content of honey or rice flour to make the paste thick enough to apply on your face.
  • Mix the paste well to avoid lumps.
  • Apply it on your face with your fingertips.
  • Keep it on for 20 minutes.
  • Remove it using warm water.
  • Apply it twice a week to quickly reduce the spread of acne and remove the scars.

3. DIY fabric dyeing

You’ll need:
  • 100 tea bags
  • 4 tbsp salt or vinegar (optional and to your discretion)
  • A pot large enough for the fabric to move freely
  • Large spoon or thongs to stir
  • Approximately 1 yard of fabric per 4 cups concentrated tea (natural fibers work best: cotton, wool, silk)

Instructions:

  • Wash the fabric first to remove any manufacturer’s chemicals which may interfere with the dyeing process. (I recommend experimenting with small swatches first.)
  • Fill pot with water.
  • Simmer tea bags with salt (or vinegar) for 30 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat.
  • Remove tea bags from the pot (leaving them in results in splotches where the bags make contact with the fabric.)
  • Add fabric to the pot. The fabric must be damp first, to eliminate air pockets.
  • Soak fabric for up to one hour, depending on the desired shade. Stir every few minutes so the fabric takes the colour evenly.
  • Rinse in cold water.
Note You can also do this with Easter Eggs!

4. Green tea ice cream with earl grey dark chocolate fudge sauce

Traditional Japanese Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe

You’ll need: 
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp matcha green tea powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
 
Instructions:
  • Put the cream, milk, sugar, matcha powder, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan and whisk ingredients until combined. Try and whisk the majority of lumps away, but don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth. The next step should help eliminate most of the lumps.
  • Heat the mixture on medium-high heat until it comes to a full boil. Keep whisking until it starts to foam. At this point, your mixture should be pretty lump free — the heat will have eliminated most of the lumps. Remove from heat.
  • Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and let it cool down. Cover, then refrigerate the mixture in the coldest part of your fridge for at least four hours, or, ideally, overnight.
  • When the mixture has chilled, remove cover and give the mixture a whisk to bring it together. Churn for 20 – 25 minutes in an ice cream maker, or, according to your manufacturer’s instructions. Serve freshly spun — it will have an incredibly creamy texture (almost that of soft serve) at this point. For a more traditional ice cream texture, transfer to an airtight container and freeze overnight.

Dark chocolate earl grey fudge sauce

You’ll need

  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1 garl grey tea bag
  • 1 ounce 72% dark chocolate, chopped
  • 2  tbsp unsweetened, dutched cocoa powder
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp light corn syrup
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan or in a tea cup in the microwave. Remove from heat, add the tea, and let steep for 4 minutes or longer (depending on how much you want your fudge sauce to taste like tea).
  • Wring and remove the tea bag and pour the tea into a medium bowl. Add the chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt.
  • Combine the corn syrup, sugar, and heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir intermittently while bringing to a boil over high heat. The moment it boils, pour it into the bowl holding the chocolate. Let sit for 1 full minute.
  • Slowly begin to whisk the mixture. Then continue, increasing the vigor of your whisking every 30 seconds, until the mixture is glossy and silky-smooth. This will take 2 to 4 minutes, depending on your speed and strength. You can use the sauce at this point, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Do not freeze.

Source

5. Eye depuffer

Brew two bags of tea, wring them out then simply apply a tea bag on each eye. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. It really does soothe tired eyes, and it’s easy enough to incorporate with a face mask to achieve total spa level relaxation.

6. Bug bite relief

Repeat #5 above, rather place tea bag on bug wounds. Green tea bags make a great itch reliever.

Tea never disappoints. For something so old, we’re constantly finding new ways to use it.

What are some other ways you’ve discovered to creatively use tea?

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