My Tea Break

Rediscovering Tea around the world

Category Archives: Tea Recipes


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Ginger infused whiskey

I am a big fan of ginger infusion. I always have fresh ginger root at my house and make a big pot of ginger and lemon infusion in the morning.

Ginger is loaded with antioxidants and vital minerals and has a wide range of health benefits: aids digestion; decreases arthritic swelling; destroys bacteria and viruses; lowers blood pressure; aids circulation, relieves stress.

But what happens if you infuse ginger with whisky? You get a ginger whisky on the rocks!

Source: Eat me. bit.ly/UQpHBi

Source: Eat me. bit.ly/UQpHBi

Check out this amazing recipe by Kelly Diamond from the Eat Me blog:

Ingredients:

  • 295ml of whisky (Jack Daniels works well)
  • 4 spoons of brown sugar
  • one tablespoon of honey
  • piece of ginger root (around 7cm)
  • 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
  • powdered vanilla flavour
  • A jar with lid

1. In a small saucepan, heat the whisky but don’t let it boil.

2. Once it’s warm, add the honey and keep stirring.

3. Add the brown sugar and continue to stir until melted (for about 5 minutes).

4. Take this off the heat and let it cool down.

5. Peel the ginger and slice into small slices.

6. Put the ginger in your jar and add the granulated sugar,  vanilla powder and the cool whisky mixture.

7. Close the jar and give it a shake.

8. Let sit for two nights, shaking occasionally.

9. Strain out the ginger pieces and enjoy your ginger whisky on the rocks!

Happy Tea Break


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Yogi Tea

Yogi Tea started as part of the practice of Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine. The select spices in the brew were intended to be healing ingredients. Typically prepared as a mixture of cardamom seed, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon, this invigorating tonic aids digestion, helps bone strength, soothes tired muscles and purifies the blood.

Although the heavily spiced Ayurvedic yogi Tea has been around for centuries, particularly in India’s northern state of Punjab, it came to America with Yogi Bhajan in the late 1960s. Yogi Bhajan habitually served the aromatic Tea to his students after yoga practice and it became known as “yogi tea”.

                                                      Source: leablog.com via Kundalini Yoga on Pinterest

It’s very simple to make this Tea at home and it fills your house with its wonderful aroma.

Recipe:

  • 8 cups water
  • 6 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 Tbs cardamom seed
  • 2 Tbs whole cloves
  • 2 inches fresh ginger root (sliced)

Put all spices into a pot with water.

Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and add honey and milk (ideally almond milk) to taste.

Serve hot or cold.

Health benefits:

  • Cinnamon: anti-microbial, anti-clotting, controls blood sugar, boosts brain function, helps warm the body in the onset of cold or flu.
  • Cardamom:antioxidant, aids digestion, improves circulation, stimulates appetite, good source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and manganese.
  • Clove: anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, high phytonutrient content including manganese, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium
  •  Ginger: aids digestion; decreases arthritic swelling; destroys bacteria and viruses; lowers blood pressure; aids circulation. anti-microbial, anti-clotting, controls blood sugar, boosts brain function, helps warm the body in the onset of cold or flu.

Whether you drink this Tea to end your yoga practice, or just to warm up on a chilly day, yogi Tea offers a host of healthy benefits for your body.

Happy Yogi  Tea Break

Tania


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Tea Break with St. John Madeleines

I first fell in love with fresh out of the oven madeleines when I was at the St John’s bar and restaurant in Spitafields.

                                                                                     Source: mylittlebox2.tumblr.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

As soon as I got home I started looking for the recipe online.

Ingredients:

70g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of runny honey
1 large egg
55g caster sugar
1 tablespoon of soft brown sugar
70g self raising flour

Method:

Melt the  butter with the runny honey and then simmer until the sugars caramelise.

Whisk together the egg with caster sugar and soft brown sugar until a trail can be left on the surface of the mixture (around 8 minutes on a kitchenaid mixer on speed 6). Sift in the flour then fold in along with the butter/honey mixture. Leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Grease the Madeleine moulds with butter and flour, tip out any excess then pop a spoonful of the mixture into each one.

Bake at 200 degrees C for about 10 minutes.

Best eaten straight from the oven…with a nice cup of Tea.

Happy Tea Break.


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Thanksgiving Tea Recipe

Here is a great recipe of Hot Cranberry and Apple Tea as an inspiration for Thanksgiving:

  • 3 cups of cranberry and apple juice
  • 2 tsps honey
  • stick of cinnamon
  • 1 dash ground ginger
  • Black Tea
  • slices apple

 

- Brew your favourite Black Tea.

- In a saucepan, heat the first four ingredients. Add the Tea.

- Cover and let it stand for 5 min.

- Pour into mugs and serve hot with apple slices and cinnamon sticks.

Source: pimentanoreino.com.br via Thelma on Pinterest

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!


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Homemade Scones

Dear Tea Friends,

To celebrate the launch of our online shop, we baked some lovely scones.  A perfect match with our Bai Lin Gong Fu Black Tea.

 

Here is today’s recipe:

250g  flour
½ tea spoon of salt
1 tsp of baking powder
50g butter
1 tsp of sugar
1 ½ dl of lukewarm milk
1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 230c with trays inside.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the butter (better if you add cold butter in small cubes) to make course crumbs.
Make a hole in the middle of the crumb mixture and add the milk.
Mix everything with your hands until getting a smooth dough.
Stretch the dough and cut the shapes.
Put on hot trays and glaze with the egg yolk.
Bake for 10/12 min.

Serve with clotted cream and jam. The perfect Tea Break…

Happy Tea Break


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Matcha Smoothie

Today I tried this Matcha smoothie recipe. The recipe is very simple. You combine 1 cup of greek yogurt (you can also use 1 cup of milk or soy milk) , 1 teaspoon of matcha powder, and ice cubes in to a blender.

Source: elizadomestica.com via Patricia on Pinterest

One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green Tea in terms of its nutritional value and antioxidant content. That’s because when you drink Matcha you’re drinking the whole leaf (finely ground and powdered).

The result is a delicious and healthy smoothie and a boost of energy to start the day!

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


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Sophie Dahl’s Lavender Tea

Remember the famous children’s book author Roald Dahl (Author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)? His granddaughter, Sophie Dahl’s, has her own writing career and  just launched a cookbook called Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights.

One of the recipes is this lovely Earl Grey Ice Tea flavored with lavender flowers.

Source: foodandwine.com via Tania on Pinterest

The recipe is simple. Combine 8 cups of boiling water with the Earl Grey Tea (She uses Mariage Frère Tea) with dried lavender flowers and let is steep for 10 minutes. Strain the Tea and let it cool down. Sophie also ads a homemade sugar syrup (dissolve 1/4 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of boiling water and stir) but I would rather take it with no sugar.

Serve the Tea in tall ice-filled glasses, garnished with lavender or mint springs.

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


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Guest post – A Japanese treasure – Kasutera, Castela

Hello everyone,

I was recently given a very nice Japanese green tea cake called Kasutera, Castela. After telling about it to Mariana, I was invited to share my experience and what i´ve recently learned, here at My Tea Break!

This cake is a speciality of the city of Nagasaki, however, its origins go back to the 16th century, when the portugueses arrived in Japan. In 1543, a period of strong and deep cultural exchange started between the Portuguese and the Japanese – this trade went from the most basic daily activities like learning new words, way of dressing and new cooking recipes to scientific and artistic fields.

The portuguese were responsible for sharing and teaching, mainly in Nagasaki, the recipe of the bread of Castela, know in Portugal as the “Pão de ló”.  This recipe was improved and a bit transformed during the past centuries, to suit the Japanese taste, and is now one of the most well known cakes in  Japan – the Kasutera. This cake is highly consumed during Christmas time.

Kasutera was initially very simple, using natural ingredients. Many varieties have been created using powdered green Tea, honey or brown sugar. The one in the pictures is made with green tea and it was light and delicious!

Xinha

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