Hello 2024! What an amazing past year, I cannot wait to see what this new year has in store. Now if you are anything like me, you want to sit inside with a wonderful cup of tea and get cozy under some blankets while winter does its thing out there. Plus, we can probably all use some refreshments after a long month of holidays in December! That is why the theme this month is tea and coffee. So grab a chocolate and a blanket, and get comfy!
Pomegranate and Hibiscus Green Tea Caramel
This green tea blend is from Steepers, a local tea shop in Campbell, CA. They have all sorts of wonderful teas! This particular one is green tea with hibiscus, pomegranate, and rosehip. I added pomegranate juice to help reinforce the flavor, and the result is just lovely. Light and refreshing, which keeping a touch of earthy bitterness from the green tea. The fruits add tartness and brighten the caramel. You would almost think it is already spring!
English Breakfast Tea and Lemon Dark Chocolate Ganache
Every Brit knows you always need to start the day with a cuppa! And then have like 10 more throughout the day. English breakfast tea is often served either with milk or honey and lemon. I wanted to get the latter across, and I think it is pretty great! The lemon zest is bright and upfront, with the tea giving a cozy backdrop to the ganache. The dark chocolate reinforces the tea, and the honey is just at the edges. A perfect way to start your day!
Thai Tea Caramel with Ginger Milk Chocolate Ganache
Thai tea is traditionally black Ceylon or Assam tea with milk and sugar. The spices (and color) seem to have been added in English language recipes. I used one of the most popular brands of Thai tea mix to make a caramel that is beautifully orange, full of strong black tea notes and ending in creamy caramel. The ganache is punchy with fresh and ground ginger with milk chocolate sweetness.
Blood Orange Rooibos Milk Chocolate Ganache
Rooibos is an herbal tea from South Africa, and is also known as bush tea or red bush tea. It wasn’t commercially cultivated until 1930 when Pieter Lafras Nortier figured out the seeds needed to undergo a process of scarification before being planted. The health benefits associated with rooibos include being naturally caffeine free and low in tannins, full of antioxidants, and may help with digestion. True or not, this tea is smoky, woodsy, and has floral geranium notes. Paired with citrus, it just really lights up. The orange helps bring out the brighter flavors in the tea, and helps cut the milk chocolate sweetness.
Raspberry Pâte de Fruit with Matcha White Chocolate Ganache
“Chanoyu” literally means “hot water for tea” in Japanese and refers to the Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha tea is a ground green tea mostly produced in Japan. It is whisked with hot water to ensure no lumps, and is earthy and a little bitter. Red fruit pairs really nicely with matcha, so I decided to use a raspberry pâte de fruit. The overall effect is sweetness and tartness from the raspberry with herbal bitterness from the matcha.
Coffee and Disaronno Milk Chocolate Ganache with Coffee Toffee
Disaronno is a type of amaretto – an Italian liqueur with an almond flavor (though no actual almonds are used). When paired with coffee, it brings out the toasty notes in the coffee and kind of fades into the background. The coffee toffee adds a fun little crunch and helps balance the milk chocolate sweetness.
…
Tea cookies, also known as Mexican or Italian Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cookies, and several other names are an obvious choice for this month of tea! Buttery, nutty from the walnuts, and just the right balance of sweetness, I think you might be surprised how quickly these vanish.
…
Biscotti is the perfect cookie pairing with coffee or tea. Literally meaning “twice baked”, these hardy cookies soften up when dipped in your beverage of choice. The macadamia and dried cherry takes this to an elegant, luxurious level – perfect to start this new year!
This is a good choice, we promise. You’ll get promo codes, new flavors and product info. We send out no more than 3 emails a month. Go ahead and press subscribe now!
May is blooming all around us! With all the citrus trees and jasmine in full flower right now, all my walks smell absolutely heavenly. Mother’s
