Green Tea Spiced Cider
I have long been a fan of spiced cider in the fall- my favorite has been Trader Joe’s version since I discovered it a few years ago. Recently, a friend gave me the “Mulling Spices” blend available from Williams-Sonoma so I could make my own. It occurred to me that this combination of cinnamon, orange, allspice, and cloves might be a wonderful addition to a cup of green tea. So… I played with proportions a little and found that the following mixture makes a great cup of green tea with just enough flavor to spice up your tea, but not so much that you think you are drinking spiced cider instead. Feel free to play around with quantities to refine the taste to your own palate.
1 tsp Emperor’s Clouds & Mist Green Tea leaves, or other mild loose leaf green tea
1 tsp Williams Sonoma Mulling Spices
Add 1 tsp Mulling Spices to your tea infuser with 1 tsp tea leaves.
Heat water to 175F, and brew tea leaf/spice combination for 2 minutes.
Increase spice quantity by 1/2 tsp for stronger flavor.
(If you do not have a thermometer, boil water and let it sit for about 5 minutes to reach approximately 175F)
A word of caution though- be attentive to which green tea you use as the base. I use Emperor’s Clouds & Mist from Teavana because it has a very mild taste that serves as a good background for other flavor additions. If you use a different green tea, try to find one that is mild and light since a particularly astringent or complex green tea might have flavors that “fight with” or otherwise don’t combine well with the spice ingredients.