Something’s brewing here! These tea-inspired sweets may have you hosting your own garden party or finding time to stop and savor the moment with a cup of tea and a nosh. Baking is kitchen therapy, and a cup of tea is soul soothing. Why can’t we have the best of both? I’ve put a tea spin on some family favorite recipes. They're perfect for breakfast, mid-morning snacks, or dessert; you’ll be sure to enjoy these delights.
Chai Cake
This chai cake is quick to disappear at family and holiday gatherings. It brings back memories of a similar sweet cake from my youth. My aunt always made a fabulous version (that recipe is a family secret), which she would serve with a cup of rich, dark coffee after her handmade holiday feast. Enjoy this cake with a cup of tea as an afternoon treat.
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
• 1¼ cups water
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange peel pieces
• 2 bags black tea
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 6 clove buds
• 4 cardamom pods
• 16 peppercorns
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 cup semolina flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
For the syrup:
1. Bring water to a simmer and add the sugar, orange peel, tea bags, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns. Stir to dissolve sugar and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Turn the heat off, remove tea bags, allow to cool, strain, and set the glaze aside.
For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease 8x11-inch baking dish or a mini bundt cake pan (makes 6 mini cakes).
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Incorporate the eggs followed by the orange juice, vanilla, orange peel, and brandy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, semolina, nuts, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg,
and cloves.
4. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined. Stir the remaining dry ingredients to the batter until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in 8x11-inch pan for 40-45 minutes or mini bundt cake pan for 35 minutes, until golden.
6. Remove the cake from the oven. Using a sharp knife, score the 8x11-inch cake into 12 pieces. While still hot, spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the cake or mini bundt cakes. Cool completely on a rack. Gently unmold mini bundt cakes when cooled.
Recipe notes:
• Semolina flour is a coarse grind of high-protein durum wheat often used to make pasta, bread and pizza. Bob’s Red Mill or Hodgson Mill brands offer semolina flour, which can be found in the organic or baking section of most grocery stores.
• A simple glaze adorns these mini bundt cakes perfectly. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 3-5 tablespoons milk, water, or orange liqueur, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and spoon over cooled cakes.
• This cake freezes well.
Chamomile-scented Berry Scones
These tea-scented treats are best slightly warm from the oven and slathered with homemade jam. Do not skimp on the homemade jam! The tea flavor mellows as the scones cool. If they are not devoured on day one, they still keep well for up to three days. Be a bit kitchen-clever and freeze half the batch for guests or mid-morning cravings.
Yield: 8-12 servings
Ingredients:
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried chamomile tea
• ½ cup butter, cubed
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
• ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• Flour for dusting
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and tea.
2. Combine the flour mixture and butter until small crumbs form (use your hands, a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a pastry cutter).
3. Mix the milk, vanilla, and lemon peel in a separate small bowl.
4. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until moistened and holds together. Add the blueberries until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
5. Divide the dough. On a well-floured surface, form each piece into a 6-inch circle. Be generous with the flour to prevent sticking. Cut each circle into 4 or 6 pieces. Freeze pieces for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
6. Place pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool.
7. Melt white chocolate chips, per package instructions. Use a spoon and drizzle over cooled scones.
Recipe notes:
• Follow through step 4 and freeze scones in a freezer-safe container. Bake as directed.
• Freeze your fresh berries before incorporating into the recipe; doing this will keep your dough white.
• Substitute dried dates or apricots, frozen raspberries, or chopped strawberries for the blueberries.
• If you prefer not to drizzle the white chocolate on the scones, mix the chips into the dough.
Matcha Tea Cookies
If you’ve spent much time in the tea section of your local market, you may have spotted matcha tea. It’s all the rage in urban tea shops. Matcha tea isn’t just for sipping but makes a lovely butter cookie. I like to serve these dusted with powdered sugar, but the addition of white or semi-sweet chocolate pairs well with the matcha tea powder.
Yield: approximately 40 cookies
Ingredients:
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans,
or almonds
• 2 teaspoons matcha tea powder
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, optional
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup white or semi-sweet chocolate morsels, optional
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
3. In a medium, separate bowl whisk the flour, nuts, matcha, cardamom powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter until blended. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
5. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.
6. Remove pan from oven, allow cookies to rest 2 minutes. Gently remove cookies from pan and place cookies on cooling rack. While still warm, dust with powdered sugar. Reapply if desired.
7. Melt the chocolate, per package instructions. Using a knife or offset icing spatula spread a thin layer of chocolate onto the bottom of each cooled cookie; allow the chocolate to cool. Alternate method: drizzle chocolate onto each cookie.
Recipe notes:
• Make ahead tip: Freeze the cookies after they have been formed into balls. Bake as directed for 15-18 minutes.
Bonus Recipe:
Vegan Strawberry Mint Quick Bread
Knowing there is a loaf of Vegan Strawberry Mint Quick Bread ready to be toasted and slathered with fresh jam always has me waking up on the right side of the bed! The scent of locally roasted and freshly ground percolated coffee helps, but mostly it’s the quick bread.
Hope you enjoy this quick bread recipe as much as I do. The bread is not a sweet, zucchini-style bread but more of a tea bread that’s fabulous still warm from the oven and just as tasty toasted. Easily substitute your favorite summer berries for the strawberries.
Yield: 8-10 servings
I like to double batch this recipe and freeze a loaf for a rainy day breakfast. If you prefer not to make a vegan version, easily substitute the coconut oil with butter and non-dairy milk with milk.
Ingredients
1/4 cup raw, organic coconut oil
1 tablespoon (1 1/2 tea bags) dried mint tea or 3 tablespoons chopped, fresh mint leaves
3 cups whole wheat white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup organic, raw agave or maple syrup
1/4 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce
1 cup non-dairy, unsweetened milk
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped
Directions:
-
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
-
In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt the coconut oil with the mint; steep for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
-
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
-
In a small bowl, combine the agave, applesauce, milk, orange juice and vanilla. Strain the mint from the coconut oil. Whisk the strained coconut oil into the wet mixture until evenly combined.
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, adding the berries half way through. Stir until just combined. Do not over-mix.
-
Spoon into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden.
Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy with fresh jam!
Recipes, text, and photography by Phoebe Canakis
