Tea Travels!™… Holiday Tea Blend
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 and High Tea Recipes.
- 2 ounces Darjeeling black tea
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 teaspoon crdamom, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
- 1/4 cup currants or raisins
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (rind), grated*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or pure vanilla extract
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Place tea, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, currants/raisins, ginger, nutmeg, orange zest, and vanilla powder in a bowl and mix together. NOTE: If using vanilla extract blend well through dry ingredients, allowing the entire mixture to dry.
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Use one teaspoon of tea mixture per each 6-ounce cup of tea. One heaping teaspoon of tea mixer per #2 T-sac may be used per 2 to 3 cup tea pot. One prepared tea bag containing leaf tea will brew 2 to 3 cups of tea.
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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.
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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.
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Use one teaspoonful of tea mixture or one tea bag per cup (6 ounces) of water. Pour boiling water over the tea.
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Let steep for 7 to 10 minutes. 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 less strong, add hot water after the brewing period. Always decant the tea before serving.
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If Chai is desired add warmed milk to taste.
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Tea Enhancers: Sugar, Honey, Candied Ginger, or Orange Rind.
* 1 orange = 2 tablespoons grated zest.
TEA TRAVELS™ – Wishing You Happy TEA TRAVELS!™ Tea is the luxury everyone can afford!™ and Good $ense for $uccess are the trademarked property of Ellen Easton/ RED WAGON PRESS
Ellen Easton, author of Afternoon Tea~Tips, Terms and Traditions (RED WAGON PRESS), a lifestyle and etiquette industry leader, keynote speaker and product spokesperson, is a hospitality, design, and retail consultant whose clients have included The Waldorf=Astoria and Plaza Hotels. Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.
Purchase Ellen Easton’s Tea Books:
Each 5 x 7 book is $20 postpaid Continental USA only. Wholesale and fundraising accounts welcome. Include name, address, zip code, and phone number for shipping. Check or MO order payable to: RED WAGON PRESS, 45 East 89th Street, STE. 20A, New York, NY 10128-1256. All inquires to teatravels@aol.com
AFTERNOON TEA…TIPS,TERMS and TRADITIONS
72 pages of how to’s, 27 photos, history, etiquette and FAQ about afternoon tea, serving styles and more. “Tea is the luxury everyone can afford!™”
TEA TRAVELS™ – FOR THE HOLIDAYS
64 pages, 21 color photos. A complete holiday menu includes 25 easy to prepare recipes; theme teas, decorating & gift ideas; invitation template and secret sources.