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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.

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.

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!

Feeling Pumpkin-ish?

As October draws to a close, Halloween just a night away, and perhaps you are feeling in the mood for something flavoured with pumpkin.

Have you given the Pumpkin Pie black tea a try. Smooth and creamy with a hint of those familiar pumpkin pie spices, it's a lovely warmer at this time of year.

Or for something completely different, why not try some matcha pumpkin seeds?

 Save the seeds when you are carving a pumpkin and then toast them - here's how.

Combine 1 tbsp coarse salt with 1/2 tsp matcha powder.

 Rinse the pulp off the seeds and drain them. Line a pan with parchment paper or foil. Toss pumpkin seeds with a healthy cooking oil, and a salt and matcha powder mixture, then put the seeds on the pan and place it in a 250F oven for about 1 hour, tossing every 15 - 20 minutes.

You could try it in your microwave or a skillet on the stovetop.

You could also do this with other types of seeds, like acorn or butternut squash.

If you have matcha-salt leftover, try it on other foods, like poached or fried eggs, or in a grated carrot salad.

Biscuits and Jam - Delicious With Tea

We came across this recipe recently that sounded pretty tasty and with the use of Steeped Tea jams would be even more special! The original recipe calls for raspberry jam, but why not make it more decadent with one of our very elegant jams - Strawberry Rhubarb, Bumbleberry, Cinnamon Pear or the newest flavour Carrot Cake (grated carrots, raisins, pear, pineapple and cinnamon - scrumptious!)

 Jammy Cream Tea Muffins

1 c vegetable oil

3/4 c plain yogurt

2 eggs

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 tsp vanilla

3 c all purpose flour

1 1/4 c granulated sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

coarse sugar (optional)

2/3 c marscapone

1/2 c your favourite Steeped Tea jam

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk together oilk, yogurt, eggs, lemon rind and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make well in dry ingredients, pour in oil mixture and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide batter among prepared cups. Sprinkle coarse sugar, if using, over batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to rack and cool completely.

Prior to serving, remove paper and slice tops off each muffin. Spread with an equal amount of marscapone and a dollop of jam. Replace tops. Place on a pretty serving platter and serve with your favourite Steeped Tea!

 

Another Yummy Blender Drink

I tossed this into the blender the other day and it was scrumptious!

1 ripe banana sliced in 3 pieces

1 1/4c chocolate flavoured almond milk

1 tsp matcha

couple of ice cubes

Blend thoroughly, pour into a glass and enjoy!

More Delicious Tea Smoothies

This tea smoothie recipe requires rooibos, a caffeine-free herbal, so you can let the kids have the last bit left in the blender, if there is any extra.

1/2 c Pina Colada rooibos, cooled

1/4 c coconut milk

1 c diced mango

1 1/2 c cubed pineapple

2 tsp agave syrup (or other sweetener if required)

1 tsp orange zest

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth

Another Delicious Smoothie Recipe

Whether it's your breakfast, lunch or snack, a smoothie can be a delicious and nutritious way to fill the hunger gap. This recipe incorporates our Steeped Toffee Caramel Pu-Ehr so it provides additional health benefits. Studies have shown that Pu-Ehr can help dieters in weight reduction. Another benefit is its effect on breaking down and preventing the development of artery clogging bad cholesterol. So give this one a try:

1 cup cooled Toffee Caramel Pu-Ehr tea

1/2 c non-fat plain yogurt

2 c sliced bananas

1/2 c strawberries

1 tbsp honey (or other sweetener, try agave or maple syrup)

1/8 c chopped walnuts

1/8 c rolled oats

Place all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth.

Bubble Tea How-To

Our recent newsletter included a bubble tea recipe. For those of you who are visual learners, here's a video to help you make your own.Remember you can save yourself several dollars per cup by making these at home instead of heading out for them!