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Chocolate Black Tea Cake

Our contest is still open until this weekend. If you are Canadian, you could win some of Steeped's wonderfully delish new savory products. All you have to do is leave us a comment about your favourite tea and chocolate combination.

Meantime, here's a recipe for combining tea and chocolate in a cake that you can then enjoy with a cup of tea. The author of the recipe writes:

"This is an Austrian recipe that was passed on from one generation to the next in my family. The secret of this cake's full flavour and softness: Prepare it one day in advance before eating it!"

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup butter
• 1 2/3 cups white sugar
• 1 cup brewed black tea, cold
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup chopped hazelnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the egg yolks, butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the black tea. Toss together the flour, baking powder, bread crumbs, cocoa powder, and hazelnuts; fold into the tea mixture until just incorporated.
3. In a large clean glass or metal bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the tea batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for at least 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Butter Tea??

If you read the recent post about the upcoming visit in this area of Gary Mortensen, you may have read that it was over a cup of butter tea that he made a promise to come back and build a school for those rural children.

Did it make you think - butter tea, what in the world is that? Where is it in the Steeped catalogue?

Butter tea is a drink of the Tibetans and Chinese minorities in southwestern China. It is also consumed in Bhutan. It is made from tea leaves, yak butter, and salt.

Drinking butter tea is a regular part of Tibetan life. Before work, a Tibetan will typically down several bowlfuls of this tangy beverage, and it is always served to guests. Nomads are said to often drink up to 40 cups of it a day. Since butter is the main ingredient, butter tea is a very warming drink, providing lots of energy (calories) and is particularly suited to high altitudes. The butter also helps prevent chapped lips.^[1]

According to the Tibetan custom, butter tea is drunk in separate sips, and after each sip the host refills the bowl to the brim. Thus, the guest never drains his bowl; rather, it is constantly topped up. If the visitor does not wish to drink, the best thing to do is leave the tea untouched until the time comes to leave and then drain the bowl. In this way etiquette is observed and the host will not be offended.

If you'd like to try making your own butter tea, the author of the Not Quite Nigella blog shares this recipe along with the reaction of guinea pigs - er tasters! She reasons that if we put whipped cream on hot chocolate, how different is this? Yes, and lots of people love a dollop of foamed milk on their chai, so... maybe it's not impossible. (P.S. the photo of the pot and tea in the cups also comes from her blog site):

Himalayan Salted Butter Tea

An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella

Makes 2 cups

• 2 cups of whole milk
• 2 teabags of black tea
• 4 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of butter (her butter was unsalted, hence the salt)
• salt to taste

1. Boil the milk with the teabags for 2-5 minutes. Add sugar and using a whisk, dissolve and then add butter and salt to taste. Whisk throughly so that it is foamy and the butter is completely emulsified.

Earl Grey Shortbread

Earl Grey Tea Cookies
(from the special issue Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2005)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves (from about 4 bags)*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1. Whisk flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Put butter, sugar, and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.

3. Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow the log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper towel tubes**; freeze until firm, 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.

5. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through,until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

*You can grind the tea leaves in a small food processor, spice grinder, blender, or do as I did and use a magic bullet!
**Or just lay them carefully in your freezer on something long and flat.
These also make a lovely gift!

Yummy homemade pudding with tea

Chocolate Chai Pudding

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Pinch of salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons Leapin' Lizards Chai or Christmas Chai
1 large egg
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a saucepan, slowly bring milk to a boil. Take off heat and add tea leaves, straining after five to six minutes. Pour out and allow to cool completely.Meanwhile, clean the pan and whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt. Gradually whisk in the chai milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and boil, whisking, until thick, about three to five minutes. Remove from heat.Immediately beat the egg lightly in a medium, heat-proof bowl (like a ceramic mixing bowl). Very gradually add the hot chai-chocolate mixture to the egg (called “tempering”), whisking constantly. Add in the chocolate chips until they are melted and the mixture is smooth.Pour the pudding into teacups, ramekins or glass dishes. If you want, cover the surface of each with some cut out wax paper or cellophane wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the top of the pudding (though some people think the skin is the best part!) Refrigerate, covered, until cold, about 4 hours.

Recipes for Entertaining this Season

Are you having family, neighbours or friends in sometime this month? We've got some tea-inspired ideas to help you in your entertaining.

Start with a beverage (recipe from an archived World Tea News):

Apple Tea Toddy

INGREDIENTS:

8 tablespoons of apple puree
1 pint of decanted, pre-brewed black tea of choice
2 tablespoons Sugar or Honey
2 thimbles of Cognac (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large sauce pan, combine the apple puree and the decanted tea. Bring to a boil. Add sugar or honey until dissolved. Add liquor, if desired.

Serves four.

Why not try it with our Apple Crumble tea for even more apple flavour and a hint of spice, or to keep it true to the recipe, try our Margaret's Hope, English Breakfast or Canadian Breakfast, eh?

Pumpkin Latte

Here's another great pumpkin tea-inspired recipe, courtesy of one of our newest Manitoba consultants. Tasty and keeps some $$ in your wallet (those coffee pub lattes are expensive at $4 or more a pop!)

Pumpkin Latte (makes 1-2 servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute – adjust to taste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup strong brewed Steeped Pumpkin Pie black tea (or 1/2 cup of strong brewed Steeped Volcanic coffee)

Directions:
In a saucepan stir together milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds or until foamy. (I don’t usually bother with the blender and just whip the mixture really well with a wire whisk.)


Pour into a large mug or two mugs if you decide to share. Add the tea or coffee on top.

Optional:  Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.


Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Tea Tasting Impressions - Black Teas

Some tea purists look at flavoured teas the way wine connoisseurs consider wine coolers…

At Steeped Tea, however, we believe that the average tea drinker is open to a little adventure and a lot of fun. After all, flavoured teas have been around for hundreds of years, with the Chinese adding flowers to their tea, and the English adding Italian orange rind. We believe great flavoured teas start with high quality loose teas and natural (not artificial) flavours. This year, we are excited to offer 3 new black teas to the product line.

Canadian Breakfast, eh!

Canadian Breakfast is blend of Assam and green tea. If you do not want a flavoured tea, this one’s for you!

Brewing Temperature: 214^oF

Brewing Time: 4 minutes

Dry Leaves: Combination of dark tight leaves and pellets.

Liquor: Lovely warm medium brown.

Aromas: The dry leaves have a slightly sharp and mildly leathery aroma. The wet leaves remind me of tobacco in a pleasant way (I toured a cigar factory once and the aroma was wonderful and definitely different from the smell of a burning tobacco).

Body: Medium - Full

Flavours: With little to no astringency, this breakfast tea may please tea drinkers raised on Red Rose or Salada and seek that flavour without the bitterness. Lightly malty.

This tea held up nicely to a hearty bacon & egg, hashbrowns and toast breakfast, and would easily carry over into lunch as well.

Mrs. Earl Grey

Brewing Temperature: 214^oF

Brewing Time: 4 minutes

Dry Leaves: A very pretty blend of long dark leaves intermixed with blue petals and lavender buds.

Liquor: Amber brown

Aromas: As soon as you open the bag, you will smell the fragrant lavender. The wet leaves remind me of a meadow, not surprisingly, but the lavender is not as dominant.

Body: Full

Flavours: The first taste is that of black tea, and as you swallow the tea, you detect the flavour that makes it Earl Grey, the bergamot flavour. The lingering taste is the floral character of the lavender.

If you do not enjoy floral teas, it is likely you won’t enjoy this tea either. For those of us who do like floral teas, this one’s a lovely soothing cup of comfort to be enjoyed in the afternoon or evening. When you can’t have a bath to soothe your troubles, have a cup of this!

Raspberry Cream

Brewing Temperature: 214^oF

Brewing Time: 3 minutes

Dry Leaves: A very pretty blend of long dark leaves intermixed with pink petals and green leaf bits (blackberry leaves).

Liquor: Amber brown

Aromas: As soon as you open the bag, you will smell the fragrant sweet and tangy berry aroma. The wet leaves smell fruity and vegetal.

Body: Full

Flavours: Since this is a black tea not a herbal tisane, the initial flavour is still that of tea. As you swallow, you’ll notice a creamy raspberry flavour in your mouth, and that fruity flavour lingers.

What a great anytime tea! I’ll bet it’s nice iced, too.