Autumn Leave Tea - Photo By Ellen Easton ©2010 - Leaf and Pumpkin Sugar
Cubes by Reva Paul ©2010 - All Rights Reserved
Check out more of Ellen Easton's
Tea Travels™ articles and recipes.
Learn about the
History of English High Tea and more delicious
Afternoon Tea Recipes.
Maple Tea Recipe:
Recipe Type:
Iced Tea and Sweet Tea,
Beverages,
Tea Travels
Yields: makes 3 to 4 servings
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients:
4 ounces Assam or Darjeeling black tea*
1 tablespoon maple sugar
* Any good black tea blend, of
your choice, may be substituted.
Preparation:
In a bowl or jar, mix together the black tea of your choice and the maple sugar.
Store in an airtight, dark container, away from any light until ready to use.
For Hot Tea:
Preheat a teapot or "hot the pot" by rinsing it out with hot water. By
insulating the teapot, it keeps the tea hot during the brewing process.
Bring the fresh cold water to a full rolling boil. Remove from the heat
quickly as to not allow the oxygen to escape from the water. Water that has been reheated gives tea a flat taste. Only boiling water
can extract the full flavor and benefit from the leaves.
Use one teaspoonful of tea or one tea bag per cup (about 5 or 6 ounces) of water.
Pour boiling water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes or the recommended
brewing time as per the instructions of your blend. Do not judge the strength of your tea by its color. It takes time for the leaves to
unfold and release their flavor. If you prefer your tea stronger, do not steep longer as it will only turn the tea bitter; simply add
more leaves before brewing. If you prefer your tea less strong, add hot water after the brewing period. Tea must be brewed to the full
time to extract the complex flavors from the leaves.
As to not burn the leaves on delicate white and green teas allow the water to
cool before pouring over the leaves.
Always decant/strain the tea before serving to prevent the leaves from
stewing in the pot.
For
Iced Tea:
Follow the same rules as for hot tea, but use 50% more tea to allow for melting ice cubes.
Tea may be frozen in ice cube trays and used for iced tea. Tea cubes, when made
from the same blend of tea, help to keep the tea from diluting.
Allow the tea to cool. Pour over ice into a tall glass. Garnish, as desired.
Maple Tea Treats:
Cream Puffs with
Maple Creme Filling
Maple Shortbread Cookies
