ICED TEA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients
One cup cold strong English breakfast tea
One cup frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries, or a combination
Half cup plain yogurt
Half cup apple or cranberry juice
One tablespoon honey (optional)

In a blender or food processor combine tea, frozen berries of choice, cranberry juice and honey. Blend on high speed until smooth.

This is a powerhouse drink, full of healthy anti-oxidants.

Serve immediately.
A great way to start your day.

Cranberry Tea

Ingredients
Three cups water
One third cup sugar
Three small black tea bags
One tablespoon lemon juice
One cup cranberry juice

Method:
Bring water to a boil.
Add tea bags and steep five minutes.
Add sugar, lemon  juice and cranberry juice.

Yils about three and a half cups.

MULLED CIDER AND TEA

Ingredients
Four cups freshly brewed black tea
Four cups apple cider
Two cinnamon sticks, broken
Twelve whole cloves
2 slices fresh ginger root, peeled
One third cup honey
Orange slices and haved cinnamon stick for garnish , if desired.

Method
Combine tea, cider, ginger and honey in a suace-pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for five minute. Transfer to crock pot to keep warm.
Serve and garnish.

This can be  transferred to a container to cool  and refrigerated to reheat later.

BLACK TEA & MUSHROOM CANAPES

Ingredients
Five cups sliced mushrooms
One tablespoon olive oil
One eighth cup green onion, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste
A pinch of Chili (medium or hot, a you like it.)
Half teaspoon vinegar
Half cup water
One tablespoon good quality black tea leaves
Twenty-four slices of thinly sliced french bread
Two ounces unsalted butter

Method
Pour boiling water over the tea leaves, let steep five minutes
Add vinegar, salt, chili powder to tea.
Saute mushrooms in oil in frying panuntil lightly browned
Stir in green onions
Pour in tea mixture and simmer
Strain through a fie sieve, cool mushrooms and chop them finely.
Cut bread into desired shapes, spread ith softened butter and mound mushroom mixture on top.

These are absolutely delicious.  Yield: 48

HAWAIIN ICED TEA

Ingredients
One gallon freshly brewed black tea
Quarter cup sugar
One twelve ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate

Method
Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate.
Serve over ice. Serves twenty.

GREEN TEA ICE CREAM

Serves 8
Ingredients
1 quart heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 and one quarter cups sugar
Half teaspoon salt
Quarter teaspoon Matcha tea powder

Method
Boil cream over high heat
until reduced by half
Bring to room temperature, cover and refrigerate
until well chilled.
Combine reduced cream with remaining ingredients and mix until sugar
is dissolved.
Pour into ice trays and freeze.

So easy! So delicious!

TEA CLIPPER COCKTAIL

Ingredients
Fresh apple juice, cinnamon tea (half cup to two cups water)
Apple liqueur to taste (optional)
Ice cubes
Prepare cinnamon flavored iced tea
Chill tall cocktail glasses
To serve:
Place ice cubes in the bottom of each glass
Pour in one third of the tea and two thirds apple juice.
Decorate with a slice of lime
Serve Ice cold

BLACK TEA ICE CREAM

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pint whole milk
5 egg yolks
1 and one quarter cup sugar
                                     1 tablespoon quality black tea leaves
Method
Bring  half the milk to a boil.
Add sugar to egg yolks, beat until mixture becomes thick .
Add the egg yolk mixture, a little at a time to the cold milk, set aside.
Steep tea in hot milk for 4 minutes.
Strain leaves.
Beat hot milk into egg yolk mixture.
Pour into a pan and cook over very low heat for 5 minutes, stirring continuously
Cool completely and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions in an ice cream maker.

If you do not have an ice cream maker, place in a plastic container and freeze.
When frozen, remove from freezer, allow to thaw a little, beat and return to freezer.
Repeat.

CHAI TEA RECIPE

A flavor of India
Simple Chai Tea
Place milk, a couple of cloves, a pinch of cardamon and either tea leaves or tea bag in a pot. Pour boiling water on top. Let this steep. Strain if using loose tea into a cup. Serve. Offer sugar on the side.

Not so simple Chai tea
In a saucepan bring to a boil water, milk tea (either loose or tea bags), add sugar, slices of fresh ginger. After mixture comes to a boil lower heat and add pinch cardamon, cinnamon stick, cloves, ground white pepper. Let this all this infuse at a relatively low heat for about five minutes.

Strain. Enjoy.

If you must measure:
One tablespoon tea, one cup water, 2-3 tablespoons milk per serving. This drink is usually served quite sweet.

EARL GREY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients
6 Earl Grey Teabags or 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey Tea.
1 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter (half cup)
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 ounces best quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted & cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Quarter teaspoon salt
Half cup plain yogurt
Heat Oven to 350F
Method
Coat an 8 cup pan with cooking spray
Brew tea in water for about 3-5 minutes.
Remove teabags or strain tea leaves and set brewed tea aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter,eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
Blend in the melted chocolate
Beat in the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, yogurt and brewed tea.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake approx. 50 minutes or until cake tester inserted into cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven. Let cake cool. Turn cake out and cover with Earl Grey Ganache.

EARL GREY GANACHE

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons loose Earl Grey Tea (or three teabags)
24 ounces copped quality semi-sweet chocolate

Method
Combine heavy cream, butter and tea in a large saucepan
Bring to a simmer, remove from heat. Set aside to steep for several minutes. Put chocolate into a heat resistant bowl. Strain cream over chocolate. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Frost cake as desired.

GREEN TEA AND CAFFEINE

Research has found that when one drinks green tea the caffeine in green tea stimulates the whole body.

You can clear your mind in the morning by drinking green tea and body by drinking green tea in the afternoon. Most of the caffeine in green tea is extracted in the drying process of the leaves. Green tea caffeine is quite mild compared to other caffeinated beverages.
However, if you are sensitive to caffeine, you would be better off drinking your green tea weak.

CHAI POTS DE CREME

This recipe serves 6

Ingredients
For custard:
6 green cardamon pods
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half
1 tablespoon of chai liquid tea
1 tablespoon loose-leaf Darjeeling or Earl Grey tea
1 cinnamon stick (about an inch)broken in half
5 whole cloves
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 black peppercorns
1 egg plus 3 egg yolks
Quarter cup sugar
Quarter cup light brown sugar
zest one lemon

For Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
4 teaspoons sugar
eighth teaspoon garam masala - Garam masala is a blend of many different dried spices
obtained from the international aisle of most supermarkets, or Indian food stores.

Method
Preheat oven to 325F. Line a 13-9-2 baking dish with a dish towel. Place 6 ramekin dishes in baking dish. Set aside.

Using a a pestle and mortar pound cardamom pods to break open their shells (can use the flat side of a chef's knife) Place cream, half & half, tea,liquid chai, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom seeds and pod in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover and steep 15 minutes. Strain into medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat together egg, egg yolks, sugars, lemon zest at high speed of electric mixer until mixture thickens and becomes pale gold in color.

Reduce speed to low. Slowly add infused cream to egg mixture. Divide between ramekins.
Place baking dish in oven. Pour water into baking dish until it reaches half way up sides of ramekins. Cover pan with foil. Poke a few holes in foil to allow steam to escape. Bake until custards are just set. The centers should still jiggle.

Using tongs remove ramekins from baking dish and cool on a wire rack.

Remove baking dish from oven when cool.

Transfer ramekins to refrigerator until chilled.

Just before serving: In a bowl of standing mixer, or using an electric hand-mixer, beat together heavy cream, sugar and garam masala until stiff peaks form. Spoon a dollop of spiced, whipped cream on top of each chilled custard. Serve immediately.

These are absolutely delicious and well worth the effort.

WELSH TEA BREAD

A FAMILY RECIPE FROM MARY ELIZABETH'S KITCHEN

Ingredients

1 pound of mixed dried fruit
1 mug hot, strong, black tea
1 mug soft brown sugar
2 mugs self-rising flour
1 egg, well beaten (if dry add a little more beaten egg)
2-3 tablespoons marmalade

Preheat oven to 325F Grease a 9x13" loaf pan
Method
Soak fruit overnight in tea
Mix all ingredients together
Place in a greased loaf pan

Bake for 2 hours at 325F

Cool. Serve cold, spread with a little unsalted butter, delicious.

DARJEELING POACHED CHICKEN SALAD

Poaching chicken in Darjeeling tea give the chicken a wonderful smokiness. Make this dish the day before serving to bring out the best flavor.

Ingredients
3 and half cups water
4 boneless chicken breast (8 halves)
1 large red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Third cup red wine vinegar
Two thirds cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dried or chopped fresh tarragon

GREEN TEA MUFFINS

These muffins are delicious and are made with the Japanese green tea powder matcha.

Preheat oven to 350F Grease 12 muffin pans or line with paper muffin cups.

Ingredients
1 and two thirds cups all-purpose flour
Half teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
Half cup sugar
1 egg
Third cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup milk Quarter cu chopped nuts (optional)

Method
Whisk flour, matcha, salt,baking powder and sugar together in a mixing bowl, set aside.
In another bowl whisk together egg, melted butter and milk. Stir tis mixture into the flour mixture.
Stir in nuts, if using.
Divide batter among the prepared muffin pans.
Bake in the preheat oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Cool in pans for five minutes, then remove to completely cool on wire racks.

These muffins have quite an attractive green color

EARL GREY BROWNIES

Earl Grey Tea gives this recipe a lovely flavor.

Ingredients
6 ounces dark chocolate
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
3 tablespoons Earl Grey tea (grind fine in coffee grinder)
1 and quarter cups all-purpose or cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Half teaspoon salt
Grease 9x9 inch pan
Preheat oven to 350F


Method
Melt chocolate with butter over a double boiler

Whilst chocolate is melting whip eggs and sugar together until pale gold in color.

Combine Earl Grey tea powder, flour baking powder and salt. Sift.

Add melted chocolate and vanilla to egg mixture, blend completely. fold in the flour, mixing until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Frost with Lavender honey frosting (recipe below) if liked

Ingredients
2 ounces dark chocolate
2 ounces bitter-sweet chocolate
6 ounces heavy cream
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. lavender

Method
Finely chop chocolate into small (1/4 inch ) pieces
Place chocolate in medium sized, heat-proof bowl
Place lavender flowers in heavy cream, scald
Remove from heat. Cover and infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and reheat
Using a rubber spatula, stir gently using a circular motion.
Stir until all the chocolate is melted and completely emulsified.

Spread over cooled cake.

RECIPE for Green Tea Chocolate Cake

This is a Japanese Dessert,which uses Matcha Tea

Ingredients
3 small eggs
One and two thirds cups all-purpose flour
Two thirds cups sugar
one third cup butter
one teaspoon matcha green tea powder
1 teadspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Method
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add beaten eggs alternately with sifted flour,matcha and baking powder
Gently fold in chocolate chips
Transfer mixture to a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake at 350F for approx. 25-30 minutes.
Cool. Cut into squares.

Green Tea Green Tea it does a body good

There is a great deal of interest in the health properties of green tea. Here are the grades of green tea to buy and try.

GUNPOWDER; Gunpowder is produced from the first crop. The young leaves are selected and rolled into pellets the size of a pinhead. This makes them resemble gunpowder.

MATCHA: Matcha is a green tea that has been reduced to a powder. The leaves are dried, steamed and cut into pieces. They are then dried again and ground into a powder. This process gives the tea a strong, bitter taste. The Japanese use matcha green tea in their Japanese tea ceremony (Chanoyu). This green tea should be used sparingly.

CHUN-MEE: Chun-Mee is an excellent green tea made of very tiny leaes, which are twisted length-ways.

NATURAL LEAF: Comes from China and Japan. As the name implies the leaf is left in its natural state, which is whole. This green tea is very mild.

Tea Claims

Lipton Tea is healthy was rejected by the European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) for making unsubstantiated claims on their packaging. Unilever asserted that Lipton Tea could help increase alertness, but the EFSA found no sufficient proof that black tea could help 'focus' attention.
'
'Friends don't let friends drink Liptons. I received a magnet with this quote today.

Do yo like your tea in bags?

The popularity of teabags has increased tremendously during the last decade, as the quality of teabag tea has improved greatly during this period of time. People use teabags because they generally find them more convenient. However, it is still worth that little extra time to use loose tea and prepare tea using a teapot, the resulting tea is definitely superior.

Pairing tea and food

Pairing tea and food/pastries is a matter of taste. Generally tea should complement and marry with the food being served. For example: Earl Gray Tea (a blended tea, flavored with oil of bergamot) is wonderful when paired with chocolate.So most pastries that include chocolate go well with this particular tea.

Green tea can be somewhat bitter and a sweet delicate sugar cookie would be a suggestion.

If you are serving a fruit loaf, then a black tea with orange and spicy flavors would be great.

Darjeeling tea (known as the champagne of teas) should be sipped whilst eating a dainty light cookie.

Black tea or Green Tea which is healthier?

Much tea research has focused on Green Tea. Green tea is loaded with powerful anti-oxidants. Recent studies, however, indicate that compounds contained in black tea, namely, theaflavins and thearubigens do provide health benefits originally attributed to green tea alone.

My advice: Drink both.

Can hot tea really cool you?

The amount of heat lost by evaporation and sweating never exceeds the amount of heat gained by the hot tea you drink. The extra heat makes the blood vessels near the skin dilate to help cool the blood faster. The nerves on the skin senses this and the body feels flushed and warm.

The answer is that hot tea will make the body sweat more,thus increasing cooling. However,the amount of extra cooling will not be enough to counteract the heating up from the tea.

So if someone tells you to drink hot tea in the summer, don't listen to them. Just pour yourself a glass of iced tea, iced water or cool lemonade.

How to Drink Tea, a potted history

SAMUEL PEPYS the diarist, of the reign of Charles 2nd wrote in 1660 of having drunk "tea (A China drinke) of which I have never drunk before. He does ot say whether he liked it or not.

At that time there was some confusion as to how tea should be prepared, it could be too strong or too weak. Should it be sweetened or not?

It was Dr. Samuel Johnson who became the greatest tea drinker of the 18th century. He established the way the British drank tea. Dr. Johnson, no doubt, drank many cups of tea whilst he single-handed created a huge English dictionary in order to give himself stamina to complete his diary. His teapot was very large. He took his tea strong, with the bite of tannin tempered by a little milk, adding sugar in small lumps.

Once when he was visiting a very distinguished lady he drank 32 cups of tea. "Dr. Johnson, you drink too much tea" she said. Dr. Johnson replied "Madam you are insolent."

Clearly the very British Institution of the tea party or what the French call le five o'clock had been established.

This is still true today.