Continuing on my new obsession with lavender in food, I made Pastry Affair's lavender lemonade. Posting the recipe here because the Wayback Machine link isn't playing nice.
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RECIPE:
Lavender Lemonade
Adapted from Pastry Affair
Makes about 6 cups
5 cups water, divided
3 tbsp culinary lavender buds, dried
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice, from 6-8 lemons
Lemon slices for garnish (optional)
Boil 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the culinary lavender. Put a lid on the saucepan and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer or tea strainer, reserving the liquid. Discard lavender. Allow lavender infusion to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Place remaining water (4 cups) and sugar in a second saucepan over high heat, stirring frequently, until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Stir lavender infusion, sugar water, and lemon juice together in a 2-quart pitcher until combined. Allow to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator. Serve with a slice of lemon in each glass.
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This was definitely not pink as the photos on the original recipe make it appear, more pale yellow with a brown-purple tinge. I don't know if this has something to do with the lavender I used. However, it did taste good. The lavender flavor was pleasantly strong, enough to hold its own against the lemon but not overpowering.
To make a simple cocktail I mixed it with citrus flavored vodka, though I imagine plain vodka or gin would also taste nice.
Verdict: I would make this again but probably only for a party or if I had someone around who likes lavender to help me drink it.
July 26, 2016
July 20, 2016
Tea Parties Vol. 1: A Birthday Party, and Being Unapologetically Yourself
Cue Sarah finding out about my fashion hobby and giving me one of the greatest pep talks of my adult life. Indeed she is right. The people who like you already aren't going to abandon you over your taste in clothing, and even if they're not into it personally, they will be happy for you that you're enjoying yourself. I'd read something to this effect and agreed with it before, but I guess I needed someone to say it, out loud, to me specifically.
I then told her about this tea party idea and since we like to cook together, she offered to help me cook for this party. I decided my birthday was a good excuse for the party so I invited my friends and took care of the scheduling and communication, and made drinks and cupcakes and hosted. Sarah made and brought the soup, sablés, gougères and nectarine bars. It was a lovely afternoon.
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RECIPES
- Roasted Corn Gazpacho with Cilantro Crema (from Tara O'Brady's cookbook Seven Spoons)
- Cheddar Cheese Sablés (originally from Chad Robertson's cookbook Tartine Book No. 3; the recipe linked from Scratchin' It is very similar but not the same as the one Sarah made)
- Rye-Cocoa Gougères (originally from Chad Robertson's cookbook Tartine Book No. 3)
- Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting (from Brown Eyed Baker; I additionally topped each one with a chocolate covered espresso bean and chocolate jimmies)
- Nectarine Frangipane Bars (from Smitten Kitchen; Sarah used nectarines instead of rhubarb)
- Matcha Green Tea Mojito
- Spiked Lemonade Iced Tea
- Bonus: Kentucky Tea Julep (from Elmwood Inn; I tested it with a neutral store brand black tea which was probably orange pekoe, and I liked it but we did not end up making them for the party because we had plenty of other drinks)
Other things we served that were not made from scratch:
- Various fancy cheeses
- Wine
July 19, 2016
Matcha Green Tea Mojito
For our inaugural tea party menu, we looked for summery cocktails that contained tea since they sounded a lot more refreshing than hot tea in the middle of July. I wanted one with black tea and one with green tea, and I chose this one for the green tea drink!
Notes:
RECIPE:
Matcha Green Tea Mojito
adapted from 40 Aprons
Serves 1
For each drink:
5 fresh mint leaves, rinsed and dried, plus extra if desired for garnish
1.5 fl oz (45 ml) matcha simple syrup, recipe follows
2 fl oz (60 ml) white rum
1 fl oz (30 ml) plain vodka
About 3/4-1 cup crushed ice
Club soda or plain sparkling water
Green tea bag tags (optional, for garnish)
Matcha simple syrup (makes enough for 2 drink servings):
1/3 cup (67 g) sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
1 tsp matcha
Make the matcha simple syrup: Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat on the stove, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Measure matcha into a small heatproof bowl. Add about 2 tsp of the sugar syrup to the matcha and stir to make a paste, making sure it is thoroughly blended (matcha will not dissolve). Repeat with another small amount of sugar syrup. Whisk in the remaining sugar syrup until thoroughly combined, then let cool completely. If not using immediately, store in the refrigerator in a clean glass jar.
Prepare the drink: Clap the mint leaves between your hands to release their aroma, then place in the bottom of a collins glass. Add matcha syrup, rum, and vodka, and stir until combined. Fill glass about 2/3 full with coarsely crushed ice, then top with club soda or sparkling water. Garnish with a sprig of mint and/or tea bag tag. Serve immediately.
Notes:
- The original recipe calls for 1.5-2 fl oz of the green tea syrup. I used 1.5 fl oz and even then it tasted quite sweet to me, so I recommend 1.5 oz. You can add more if you like it sweeter.
- I like a strong green tea taste so I doubled the amount of matcha from the original recipe.
- The original recipe says to muddle the mint, but people have a wide variety of ideas as to how muddling should be done. The goal of muddling is so that the mint releases its flavor, but what most people want and find pleasant to taste is the sweet, cool aromatic compounds in the oil just below the surface of the leaf, and not the bitter vegetal flavors you might get in addition from tearing or mashing the leaves. Clapping the mint between my hands has been the most successful way for me to achieve the sweet, cool mint flavor I am looking for in my drinks, so I recommend doing that instead, especially if you don't have a proper muddler or professional bartender training. (Plus, it makes your hands smell good.)
Verdict: Mojitos are not something I have often because they require simple syrup and fresh mint (neither of which I generally have on hand) and I don't think I've ever made or had one that really knocked my socks off. That said, this was my favorite attempt yet. I found this refreshing and would definitely have it again.
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Matcha Green Tea Mojito
adapted from 40 Aprons
Serves 1
For each drink:
5 fresh mint leaves, rinsed and dried, plus extra if desired for garnish
1.5 fl oz (45 ml) matcha simple syrup, recipe follows
2 fl oz (60 ml) white rum
1 fl oz (30 ml) plain vodka
About 3/4-1 cup crushed ice
Club soda or plain sparkling water
Green tea bag tags (optional, for garnish)
Matcha simple syrup (makes enough for 2 drink servings):
1/3 cup (67 g) sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
1 tsp matcha
Make the matcha simple syrup: Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat on the stove, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Measure matcha into a small heatproof bowl. Add about 2 tsp of the sugar syrup to the matcha and stir to make a paste, making sure it is thoroughly blended (matcha will not dissolve). Repeat with another small amount of sugar syrup. Whisk in the remaining sugar syrup until thoroughly combined, then let cool completely. If not using immediately, store in the refrigerator in a clean glass jar.
Prepare the drink: Clap the mint leaves between your hands to release their aroma, then place in the bottom of a collins glass. Add matcha syrup, rum, and vodka, and stir until combined. Fill glass about 2/3 full with coarsely crushed ice, then top with club soda or sparkling water. Garnish with a sprig of mint and/or tea bag tag. Serve immediately.
Spiked Lemonade Iced Tea
For our inaugural tea party menu, we looked for summery cocktails that contained tea since they sounded a lot more refreshing than hot tea in the middle of July. I wanted one with black tea and one with green tea, and Sarah chose this one for the black tea drink! If you like the combination of black tea and lemon, you'll almost certainly love this.
Notes:
RECIPE:
Spiked Lemonade Iced Tea
adapted from Tea & Candles and inspired by The Lemon Bowl
Serves 6
4 neutral flavored black tea bags, or about 3 tbsp loose leaf black tea
3/4 cup (6 fl oz, about 175 ml) boiling water
1/3 cup granulated sugar or honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz, 350 ml) citrus flavored or plain vodka
Ice
In a small heatproof bowl, steep tea in boiling water for 5-7 minutes, or up to 10 minutes if you like strong tea. Remove or strain out and discard tea bags/leaves. Add sugar or honey and stir until dissolved. Let cool until the bowl is cool enough to handle, then refrigerate until chilled. Transfer the tea mixture to a pitcher. Add lemon juice and vodka and stir to combine. Add about a tray's worth of ice cubes (~14 cubes) and mix to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes:
- I used New Amsterdam citrus vodka.
- For further variation, you could try a different fruit flavored vodka or a fruit flavored black tea that goes well with citrus and tea (berry flavors in particular sound nice).
- I made the tea concentrate part ahead (this is especially convenient if you have limited fridge space so you don't have to store a whole pitcher) and finished making the lemonade the next day, right before the gathering at which I served it.
- You will want to let the ice cubes melt a bit to water it down, otherwise it's going to be VERY strong. Alternatively, you could add less vodka if you want a less boozy beverage.
RECIPE:
Spiked Lemonade Iced Tea
adapted from Tea & Candles and inspired by The Lemon Bowl
Serves 6
4 neutral flavored black tea bags, or about 3 tbsp loose leaf black tea
3/4 cup (6 fl oz, about 175 ml) boiling water
1/3 cup granulated sugar or honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz, 350 ml) citrus flavored or plain vodka
Ice
In a small heatproof bowl, steep tea in boiling water for 5-7 minutes, or up to 10 minutes if you like strong tea. Remove or strain out and discard tea bags/leaves. Add sugar or honey and stir until dissolved. Let cool until the bowl is cool enough to handle, then refrigerate until chilled. Transfer the tea mixture to a pitcher. Add lemon juice and vodka and stir to combine. Add about a tray's worth of ice cubes (~14 cubes) and mix to combine. Serve immediately.
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