|
|
 |
|
Iced Tea
A great summer beverage. Stores for days in the fridge.
USING BLACK TEA To make 1 litre of iced tea add 4 heaped teaspoons of black tea to 1 litre of COLD water, stand 2 hours in sun or overnight, stirring occasionally. Strain tea leaves, sweeten to taste with honey, sugar or artificial sweetener and serve over plenty of ice with slices of lemon & mint leaves. (Using boiling water releases the tannins and produces a cloudy liquid when cold - stick to cold water and your tea will be sparkling clear).
Experiment with different tea varieties. We like Earl Grey Rose with slices of lemon, Peach & Fresh Mint green tea with fresh berries & mint leaves or Earl Grey Special with sliced fresh ginger & lemon.
USING FRUIT & HERBAL TEAS To make 1 litre of iced tea add 6 heaped teaspoons of your choice. Cover with 1 litre of boiling water and stand 3 hours or overnight. Strain and sweeten to taste with honey, sugar or artificial sweetener. Add berries, citrus pieces, mint and plenty of ice to serve. The colour of this liquid looks spectacular. A centre piece for any luncheon.
We suggest Sweet Sunday fruit tea served with strawberries, Energizer herbal tea and mint, Mango Star fruit tea and pineapple, Orange Passion fruit tea and oranges or Revive spa infusion and lemon.
|
|
|
Popsicles of Peach & Apricot Fruit Infusion with Raspberries
Keep supplies of popsicles in the freezer for summer snacks. Popsicle moulds are sold in supermarkets. Try different tea and fruit combinations such as Grapefruit & Bitter Lemon or Grans Garden with strawberries or peaches.
5 teaspoons of Peach & Apricot fruit infusion
300ml boiling water
3 - 4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
2 cups frozen raspberries
Place tea in a heatproof jug and pour on boiling water. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Allow to steep for 30 minutes or longer. Strain liquid. Taste for sweetness and adjust if necessary.
In a food processor, whiz raspberries and tea for about 20 seconds. Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze until solid. The mix may be frozen in a container and stirred while still mushy then frozen to make a refreshing sorbet. Makes about 10 popsicles.
|
|
Cold Tea & Ginger Punch
Place 3 tablespoons of Earl Grey Special in 4 cups (1 litre) of cold water. Allow to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Strain into large jug or punch bowl. Add 1 cup chilled orange juice, 2 x 375ml chilled ginger beer, ¼ cup sugar, ice cubes & orange slices. |
|
|
Karkady/Agua de Jamaica aka Hibiscus tea
Karkady is one of the most popular and unusual drinks that you can find in Egypt. Made from the dried, dark red pods of the hibiscus flower. It is served in many of the popular cafes throughout Egypt. The best Karkady comes from Upper Egypt, in the Aswan regio.
In Mexico the hibiscus plant is kown as Flor de Jamaica and the recipe below as Agua de Jamaica.
They also freeze the tea into iceblocks - perfect for a hot summers day!
To brew you need 1 cup Hibiscus Flowers (see under Herbal Infusions) and 2 cups sugar
Soak the hibiscus petals in cold water to cover for 1-2 hours. Transfer the petals and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Remove the pot immediately and strain the liquid. Return the petals to the pot, add fresh cold water to cover and repeat the process. Continue repeating until the Karkady loses its reddish hue. Discard the petals, and sweeten the juice while it is still hot. Serve warm in the winter time or over ice for summer. Keeps well in the refrigerator
|
|
Bengal Chai
Direct from the streets of Calcutta to you! Bengal Chai is a mouth watering blend of cardamom, ginger and black pepper along with a specially selected tea from northern Bengal.
Combine 2 tablespoons of Bengal Chai and 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 cups water. Simmer for 5 minutes with lid on, add 2-3 cups milk, simmer for 1-2 minutes, strain and serve. Adjust sweetness if necessary. Can be re-heated. have massive winter appeal, the ginger and cardamom are excellent for digestive function. |
|
Earl Grey Shortbread
½ cup butter at room temperature, ¼ cup icing sugar, ¾ cup sifted flour, ¼ cup cornflour, 1 tablespoon of Earl Grey Orange finely ground.
Preheat oven to 180°c. In a large bowl or kitchen wizz beat butter and sugar until pale. Mix in flour, cornflour and tea. Blend until dough begins to hold its shape. Do not overwork the dough. Shape into a log and chill for 30 minutes (this helps to cut a smooth piece of shortbread but isn't vital to your success), cut into slices about 50mm - 75mm thick. Bake for around 15 - 20 minutes in a fan oven. Cool completely before removing. Store in an airtight container or in the freezer to keep fresh. Shortbread will appear slightly greay after baking. |
|
Tea Smoked Fish
4 skinned and boned fish fillets, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons grated lime rind, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons sesame (or other) oil, ½ cup China Jasmine tea leaves (or Lapsang Souchong for a smokier flavour)
Place fish in a flat dish. Mix lime juice, rind, sugar and oil together. Pour mixture over fish fillets. Refrigerate until required. Line a heavy-based frying pan with foil and scatter over tea leaves. Place a wire cake rack over the leaves and cover pan with tight fitting lid. Heat frying pan for three to five minutes or until tea smells fragrant. Place the fish on the cake rack. Cover and turn heat down to very low. Cook for five to eight minutes or until fish is no longer translucent. Serves 4. |
|
Tea & Cinnamon Plums
3 cups hot Winter Dream tea, ½ cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 10 plums, ¼ cup port.
Place tea, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Wash plums and place in a saucepan with port. Simmer gently for 10 minutes or until plums are soft. Serve warm or cold with custard or cream. |
|
Tea Infused Ice Cream
3 cups cold tea (either China Jasmine green tea, Sencha Ginger & Lemon green tea or Lemon Citrus all fruit tea), 1 cup boiling water, 1 cup milk, ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons custard powder, 3 egg yolks, 300ml cream.
Bring milk to boil. Mix custard powder and sugar with egg yolks. Stir egg yolk mixture into boiling milk and stir continuously over a medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in tea. Return to heat and stir until very thick. Allow to cool. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold cream into custard mixture. Pour into a container suitable for freezing and freeze for 4 to six hours. Remove from freezer and chop up frozen ice-cream. Process in a food processor until mushy. Return to container and refreeze one or two hours.
Beating or processing the frozen mixture, then refreezing gives ice-cream it's smooth texture. You can do this more than once for this recipe if you have time.
|
|
Assam Chocolate Pots
This elegant dessert is perfect for chocophile tea lovers creating a delicious and harmonious combination.
125g best quality dark or bitter chocolate (not compound cooking chocolate)
400ml cream
1 tablespoon Assam tea leaves (or experiment with other varieties - we prefer Assam for it's malty flavour)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cinnamon stick or large pinch of cinnamon
Chop chocolate into even pieces, set aside. Bring cream just to a boil and add tea, sugar and cinnamon. Take off heat and steep for 2 minutes. Return to heat until it just starts to bubble then pour through a fine strainer or damp muslin on to chocolate. Stir well until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into 4 - 6 small teacups or glasses and chill until set. Serve dusted with cocoa or decorated with grated chcolate. Finish with a cup of Assam tea!
|
|
Tea Eggs
Hard boil a dozen eggs in enough plain water to cover them. Crack the shells lightly and put the eggs back in the water. Add in 1 tablespoon good quality black tea (Ceylon or Assam), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 chicken stock cube, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 whole star anise. Simmer for at least ½ hour. Cool and serve sliced in a salad or as an entree with lettuce chives to decorate.
|
|
|
|
