The Athol Brose ToddyHappy National Hot Toddy Day! Obviously this is one of my favourite made up holidays, and unlike some of the more unfortunately planned ones, happens to fall right when you need a warming beverage the most. This year I decided to try a toddy twist on a classic concoction- The Athol Brose. This traditional Scottish drink is made with scotch, honey, sometimes oatmeal, and sometimes cream. I highly recommend giving it a google- it's pretty interesting! I decided to forego the oatmeal in mine, although I wouldn't be opposed to working it in in future attempts. Instead I opted to infuse the cream with Earl Grey tea, which is what pushes this drink into toddy territory. First warm the cream until just starting to steam. Place teabag in cream and let steep until desired strength. I recommend taking it a hair further than you expect, since there will be other bold flavours in the drink. Return cream to fridge and let fully chill. Place (empty) cocktail shaker into fridge to chill. Make honey syrup by stirring together honey and hot water until fully combined. Just before you are ready to pour and serve, put cream into chilled shaker and shake until fully aerated but not "whipped." Pour honey syrup to taste into glass or mug. Add equal measures of scotch and hot water. Pouring along the edge of the glass, float the cream over the mix. Serve and drink immediately. *My glass was purposefully small, intended to almost be a warm and soothing shot, but equally intended to show off the nature of the float. If the appearance of the drink doesn't matter, I would serve in a warmed mug with an even greater volume of scotch and hot water.* Your first sensation is the smell of the tea, full bodied and bright. Then as you sip you get the incredibly rich, cool, and creamy beginning followed by the sweet, spiky, and warm base. It's the perfect match of opposites. So today, or any day you need helping warming up, give the Athol Brose Toddy a try.
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Happy National Shortbread Day!This winter has felt a little colder, a little rainier, and a lot more blustery than usual. Which means I've been craving darker, stiffer teas, the kind you spike with milk and a little sugar. You know the type: black blends, PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold, any of the Breakfasts, Lapsang if you're adventurous. I wanted my shortbread to stand up to these fuller flavours with a bite of its own. So I made these: Rosemary Orange Shortbread. Aromatic, slightly astringent, but sweet and rich, just like the teas I designed them to pair with. Rosemary Orange Shortbread (Based on a recipe by Will Torrent) 300g butter, softened 150g sugar 1 heaping tablespoon fresh rosemary zest of 1 orange teaspoon of vanilla 400g flour salt Rough chop the rosemary then combine with sugar in a food processor. When all of the rosemary is finely minced, pour into mixing bowl and add butter. Beat until light and fluffy. Add orange zest and vanilla, then mix again. Finally, add your flour and salt and beat until dough is uniform. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours. Remove from fridge 20 min before you wish to bake. Dust work surface with flour, roll out dough to desire thickness. Cut out desired shapes and arrange on parchment lined baking sheets. Brush a little water on the top of each cookie and press a rosemary leaf into the surface. Place pans in fridge to re-chill dough. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake on middle rack of oven for about 15 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove from oven and immediately dust tops of cookies with sugar. Cool completely and serve. No matter what type of shortbread you bake, buy, or eat, may it always pair well with your tea.
Happy National Shortbread Day! Shortbread is something of a phenomenon of a cookie. Originating from Scotland but beloved throughout the world, shortbread is deceptively simple but outrageously delicious. It's called shortbread because it is a 'short' dough, meaning it contains a lot of butter but no eggs, which results in a crumbly texture. Although there is nothing wrong with a good plain shortbread, one of the reasons I love these cookies so much is because of how easy you can change the flavour. These are Lavender Lemon Shortbreads, a personal favourite of mine and a recent crowd-pleaser at my Grandma's 90th Birthday Tea. Lemon and lavender add just enough fragrance and bite to the rich, sweet cookie base. Wonderful paired with a hearty black tea, such as Earl Grey or English Breakfast, but equally at home as a complement to bright greens like Sencha or Matcha. Just some of the variations you can make on shortbread are: coconut, green tea, rainbow sprinkle, chocolate chip, cocoa, and cinnamon sugar; the list can go on and on. As long as you aren't adding liquid ingredients you can flavour them however you want. The amount of additive will vary based on strength and personal preference, so I recommend starting small and working your way up. If you needed an excuse to bake some shortbread, now you have one! Shortbread dough also freezes beautifully, so make it in large batches and keep a round or two on hand for when you have unexpected company. This is the recipe that I currently base all of my shortbread off of. It came out of Will Torrent's beautiful book, Afternoon Tea At Home.
Simple Vanilla Shortbreads by Will Torrent (super paraphrased by me) 300 g butter, softened 150 g caster sugar zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 400 g all purpose flour pinch of salt (I added about a tablespoon of lavender. Lavender can be off-putting for some people, but I really like to taste it.) Cream butter and sugar until pale and light. Add zest from lemon, vanilla, and lavender if using. Mix thoroughly. Sift in the flour and salt and mix until smooth. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours. Remove from fridge 20 min before you wish to bake. Dust work surface with flour, roll out dough to desire thickness. Cut out desired shapes and arrange on parchment lined baking sheets. Leave a little room for spreading. Prick shapes with a fork; place pans in fridge to re-chill dough. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake on middle rack of oven for about 15 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Cool completely and serve. The second Saturday in June is World Gin Day, a holiday I was woefully misguided by a different website into believing was June 11th. So my apologies for this post being a day late, but really, when isn't a good time to celebrate gin? Gin is my go-to liquor of choice, no matter what season we are in or how old I get. When I go to a bar that specializes in gin cocktails, I am in heaven. I love that gin is sweet, bitter, and aromatic all at the same time. It's only natural to pair gin with tea, since gin is already scented with herbs and spices. I've chosen two herbal teas to highlight today's gin concoction, Golden Chrysanthemum and Olive Leaves, from Harney and Sons. The chrysanthemums give the drink a surprisingly rich and spicy undertone that is nonetheless identifiably floral. The olive leaves are vegetal and grassy, with a subtle heaviness reminiscent of olive oil. Combined with a gin thats been distilled with limes and lime leaves, this cocktail is smooth, fragrant, and fantastically drinkable. World Gin Cocktail BCTH Style 1 heaping tablespoon golden chrysanthemum flowers 1 heaping tablespoon olive leaves 2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon sugar 2 oz gin, I recommend Russell Henry Malaysian Lime Ice Place chrysanthemum leaves in heat proof measuring cup or pitcher. Place olive leaves in second heat proof measuring cup or pitcher. Add one cup boiling water to each vessel and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain immediately into new vessels and let cool to room temperature. Reserve one chrysanthemum flower for garnish. Add two ounces chrysanthemum tea, two ounces olive leaf tea, two ounces gin, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar to cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake for approximately 20 seconds then decant into waiting glass. Add reserved flower for garnish and enjoy. Are you a gin fan? What is your preferred style of gin and gin cocktail?
Happy World Gin Day from Bedford Cottage Tea House, and may your cup never run dry!
Although all the foods were chosen for their adherence to the color scheme, the flavours were anything but monotone: crisp and sweet jicama was complemented by lime hummus; the vichyssoise was rich and creamy; the cheese board was a mix of fresh and aged cheese, with a variety of milk types, and three different crackers for texture. I served a Jasmine Silver Needle white tea as the beverage of choice because it was simply perfect. Not only is it a white tea by definition, it is a white tea in appearance as well, thanks to a soft fuzz that still clings to these young leaf buds. The flavor is mild and delicate, with a gentle floral scent from the jasmine flowers. Everything about this tea is graceful and divine. I served it from a vintage Spode Camilla tea pot, as there should be a little something blue at every wedding. The angel food cake was a light and airy contrast to the heavier elements of the tea, like the deviled eggs. Perhaps it was ordained that those two dishes should be served together. The grand finale dish was the champagne jelly with popping candy. What would a wedding be without a little bubbly? The jelly was fully flavoured by the champagne, but the popping candy reintroduced the sensation that gives bubblies their name. Champagne Jelly with Popping Candy 1 bottle champagne, cava, prosecco, or other sparkling wine Approximately 3/4 cup water, simple syrup, juice, or tea 4 packets gelatin Plain popping candy* Measure sparkling wine into a 4 cup measure. Take note of needed amount of second liquid to bring total to 4 cups. Pour sparkling wine into a large bowl. Sprinkle all 4 packets of gelatin over sparkling wine and let bloom for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, measure out the second liquid and in a small saucepan heat through until almost simmering. Pour second liquid into sparkling wine and stir until all the gelatin is dissolved. When all gelatin granules have dissolved, pour liquid through a strainer into square cake pan or mold. Let set overnight in fridge. Cut into cubes and serve with popping candy. The candy will begin to pop and fizz when it comes into contact with moisture, so be sure to keep your supply shut tight until just before service. Instruct guests to heap a small amount onto jellies before eating. *I used the Culinary Crystals brand in unflavored, available on Amazon. It would be fun to get some flavored versions and play around with pairings. Let me know if you try it! This is the perfect tea whether you're getting married soon, someone you know is, or you're willing to get up at 4am to watch the royal nuptials take place in real time. Elegant without being too fussy, traditional but with a twist, a White Wedding Tea Party is just the thing for a season of love.
April 9th is National Gin & Tonic Day!Happy National Gin & Tonic Day! G&T's are my go-to drink at home and at the bar, so of course I had to make a special version for today's celebrations. While I normally like a gin and tonic that is bracing and bitter, this recipe shows the softer side of the drink. I combined a botanical gin with a jasmine green tea simple syrup for a sweet and floral cocktail perfect for spring. A blood orange for garnish instead of a lime gives some colour to this pale beauty, but keeps the acidity from overpowering the delicate undertones. G&T BCTH Style 1 teaspoon jasmine green tea 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup white sugar 1.5 ounces botanical gin, such as Uncle Val's 1/2 ounce jasmine green simple syrup 3 ounces tonic water blood orange for garnish For the syrup: Steep the jasmine green in cold water overnight. Combine with sugar in small saucepan and place over high heat until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and strain. Let cool. For the cocktail: Combine all ingredients in a fancy glass and garnish with the blood orange. Serve at once. Although you don't need to get out the fine crystal or the family silver for this 'holiday,' I recommend doing so anyway. There's a romance to this drink that deserves a little recognition. Celebrate yourself, the coming of a new season, and all the little pleasures in life with a G&T. I raise my glass to you, fellow gin drinkers, and hope you someday try the Bedford Cottage Tea House version of this classic cocktail. Cheers!
January 11th is National Hot Toddy Day! Hot Toddies are one of my favourite winter beverages, and it is no mistake that Hot Toddy Day falls right in the middle of National Hot Tea Month. A good tea, a little honey, a little lemon, and a good dose of whiskey come together to make a beverage that is hand-warming and heartwarming. It's perfect for those days when the weather is cold and dreary and the nights are dark and arrive early. There are as many iterations of a Hot Toddy as there are people drinking them. This is the one I make most often, having slowly tweaked the recipe to fit my personal tastes. I'm a sucker for anything with a rich, smokey flavour, so I use a mix of English Breakfast and Lapsang Souchong for my tea base. I recently started using an extra-smokey scotch as the tipple; this makes for a rather campfire-y toddy, which is not for everyone. The balance between the heavy tea, peaty scotch, sweet honey, and sour lemon is exactly my cup of tea, however. Hot Toddy BCTH Style makes 2 toddies 1 heaping teaspoon English Breakfast 1 heaping teaspoon Lapsang Souchong Juice of 1/2 a Lemon + garnish 4 oz Whiskey or Scotch Honey to taste Steep tea with 16oz of boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Pour scotch into pre-warmed glasses or mugs. Add tea. Squeeze juice into glass and finish with desired amount of honey. Serve hot with lemon garnish. Winter is just settling in, so there is still plenty of time to experiment with a toddy recipe of your own. Do you like rum instead of whiskey? Cloves studded into your lemons for an extra punch? Apple slices instead of citrus? Be sure to let me know how you like your toddies in the comments!
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