Alright, that’s it! We can no longer start a post raving about the gorgeous eternal summer weather. We’ve got some deliciously crisp air lingering now and the trees are passing around the memo: turn, baby, turn! Show me your reds, oranges and vibrant yellow birch leaves. Bring on the pumpkins and spices and cozy warm cover-ups. We’re finally ready, how about you?
To start our fall season off right, we’ve been enjoying mugs of scrumptious and heart warming mulled tea cider. That’s right, tea cider. We got our hands on the Rooibos Orange Vanilla tea concentrate made locally by Finest Kind and splashed a bit into our apple cider – and Woah! was that a good idea! Perhaps, the most exciting discovery of this recipe was the tea whipped cream. We can’t wait to dollop everything with some of that angel flavored whipped goodness! Try a mug for yourself with the recipe below. If you aren’t local or close to the Whole Foods in Portland, Maine, you can pick up a bottle of Finest Kind right here.
Happy sipping, Blair
Mulled Tea Cider – makes 2 servings
In a small saucepot combine the following ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 10-15 minutes.
1 c. apple cider, ½ c. Finest Kind Rooibos Tea Orange & Vanilla concentrate, ½ c. water, 1 cinnamon stick (2-3 inches), ½ inch fresh ginger thinly sliced into medallions, 1 tsp. maple cream, maple syrup, or honey, dash ground cloves (or a few whole cloves), a few inches of orange peel (use a vegetable peeler to avoid pith), pinch sea salt
Tea Whipped Cream
Using a hand mixer whip up…
¼ c. heavy whipping cream, 1 T. Finest Kind Rooibos Tea Orange & Vanilla concentrate, 1-2 tsp. maple syrup or honey depending on desired sweetness
Garnish with a dollop of tea whipped cream, a medallion of sliced fresh orange, and a sprinkle of nutmeg and orange zest. BONUS: add a shot of your favorite rum before serving!