teaspoons at the table: earl grey tea soda & cookies

Even though temperatures are dropping, our homes have never seemed warmer as they fill with friends and family welcoming the holiday season. So whether you're hosting a soiree or find your mailbox filled with merry invites, you might want to make and bake a few tea sweets to serve or to give.

At my most recent Steeped In Beauty class, I shared my recipe for an Earl Grey Tea soda. A new creation of mine, I was delighted to experiment with this fizzy tea sip. Just make the Earl Grey caramelized syrup ahead of time, and store in a pretty glass bottle in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Have it on hand for surprise guests who stop by, or wrap the bottle in a handmade tissue paper snowflake. Tie a gift tag with a holiday message and recipe so that your host/hostess can repeat your sweet treat if it tantalizes their taste buds.

Earl Grey Tea Soda

• 2 cups cane sugar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 3 teaspoons Earl Grey (I like to use an Earl Grey that is blended with vanilla & crème. It adds an extra sweet touch. If you’re in Philadelphia, Cups & Chairs has Earl Grey Moonlight or Teavana has Earl Grey Creme Black Tea)
• Ice cubes to use when serving
• Seltzer water to use when serving

Mix 2 cups of sugar with ¼ cup water in a saucepan. Stir sugar and water over medium heat until it reaches a golden brown and has caramelized.

Steep 3 teaspoons of Earl Grey in 2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes (we need a tea flavor and strength stronger than a typical cup as it will be a syrup). Let tea cool.

Add 2 cups of the earl grey tea and juice from 1 lemon to the caramelized sugar. Stir. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 30-45 minutes.

Pour syrup into glass bottle to store and serve. Fill large glass with ice, add a few teaspoons of the earl grey tea syrup (depending on your sweet tooth), and fill with seltzer water and stir.  Voila! Tea Soda! Syrup can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Tea Soda Tip: If you’re trying to avoid the sweet sip, then simply steep a green tea with hibiscus (add more leaves or steep for a minute or two longer than normal to balance out ice & water), add a drop of honey while warm. Once tea cools fill half the glass with tea and the remaining with iced and seltzer water for a bubbly sip.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

Steep a cup of your favorite Earl Grey to sip while you bake these sweet treats. Keep them in the kitchen for holiday guests or wrap them up in tiny tins for a handmade gift.

• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-2 tablespoons of loose Earl Grey tea leaves (depending on your love of tea) I like to use an Earl Grey that is blended with vanilla & crème. It adds an extra sweet touch.  (If you’re in Philadelphia, Cups & Chairs has Earl Grey Moonlight or Teavana has Earl Grey Creme Black Tea)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 sticks of butter (room temperature is best so it mixes well with other ingredients)

Add flour, salt and Earl Grey tea to your food processor and pulse until flecks of tea are dispersed throughout the dry mix. Cut room temperature butter into small pieces, and add to dry mix along with confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Pulse for a few minutes until all of the ingredients combine to create the dough.

Remove the dough from the food processor and roll into a log (about 2 inches in diameter). Wrap in plastic wrap and let cool in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes (until firm).  While the dough chills, preheat over to 375 degrees.

After 20-30 min, remove dough from refrigerator and slice. Place dough slices on baking sheet (recommended to line with parchment paper). Bake for 12-15 minutes (edges should be brown). Cool and serve with a glass of Earl Grey tea.

Comments

[Lauren]

I will have to give those cookies a try. They seem like a delicious idea!