More Tea, Anyone? 

Tea lovers know that their favorite beverage and summertime by the pool just go together. This swim season, take your passion for tea to the next level! If you’re surprised to discover that tea leaves can serve as a key ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes, we’re right there with you! No one knows the various uses of tea better than the folks at China Mist, a sustainable tea company with Arizona roots. The recipes below for sangria, hummus, scallops, popsicles, and cake will get you through hosting a backyard dinner gathering from start to finish.

CITRUS TEA SANGRIA

Kick the party off with a refreshing and simple sangria! Using naturally flavored tea in sangria guarantees an explosive aroma that evokes images of tropical beaches – transport yourself! This recipe makes  eight, 10 oz. servings.

You will need: 

  • 1qt brewed China Mist Tropical Orange Iced Tea
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 cups white or concord grape juice
  • 2 cups club soda
  • 1 each lime, orange, peach – or any other fruits you have on hand!

Instructions:

  1. Combine tea and juice with diced fruits.
  2. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  3. Serve over ice with 2 oz. club soda per 6 oz. of sangria.
  4. Garnish with orange slices.

CHAMOMILE HUMMUS

In this delightful dish, chamomile tea joins chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, olive oil, and lemon juice to give this hummus a varied flavor palate. Try it with pita chips or vegetables. This recipe serves six.

You will need: 

  • 1 c. raw chickpeas (soaked overnight, rinsed, boiled until cooked, about 1 hr) OR
  • 3-4 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
  • 1/3 c. tahini
  • 1/4 c. cold chamomile herbal tea (steep 1 tbsp. Organic Chamomile in hot water, remove chamomile, and allow to cool)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • 1/3 c. and 1 tbsp. strained fresh lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • parsley sprigs

Instructions: 

  1. Rinse chickpeas well. You can place them in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tbsp baking soda to remove the husks. I omit this step and use the whole chickpea, husks and all.
  2. Combine tahini and water in a medium sized bowl and stir vigorously with a fork to soften for 2-3 minutes
  3. Place chickpeas in a food processor and grind to a coarse meal. Add tahini, garlic, and cumin. Pulverize about 45 seconds. Slowly add olive oil and lemon juice; alternating between each, and continue to process for about 5 minutes, on and off, until the hummus becomes smooth and creamy.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika 
  6. Garnish with parsley.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH EARL GREY BEURRE BLANC

Who knew that scallops, white wine, and tea were a match made in heaven? This delectable recipe sounds fancy, yet it’s easy to make! This recipe serves four as a main course.

You will need:

  • 1-1/2 tsp. canola or other vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbs. finely chopped shallot
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed, strained orange juice
  • 4 oz. (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, 6 tbsp. chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tsp. very finely ground Organic China Mist Earl Grey Tea
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 lb. large dry-packed sea scallops (16 to 20), side muscles removed, blotted dry

Instructions:

  1. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, add the shallot, and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the wine and orange juice and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter cubes, a few at a time. Don’t let the mixture boil. Once all the butter has been incorporated, stir in the tea and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over the turned-off burner.
  3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 Tbs. of the remaining butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Season the scallops with salt and pepper, add half of them to the pan, and cook until browned on both sides but still slightly translucent in the middle, about 2 minutes per side. Wipe out the pan and repeat with the remaining butter and scallops. Transfer to plates, spoon the sauce over the scallops, and serve.

EARL GREY POPSICLES

There’s nothing quite like a popsicle on a warm pool day. Give your guests a sweet, cool treat at the end of dinner that only has three ingredients!

You will need:

Instructions:

  1. Add tea bags to a large measuring cup. Pour in boiling water. Add sugar and stir. Let tea bags steep for 10 minutes and then remove tea bags.
  2. Continue to let it sit until cooled down or quicken up the process by placing the measuring cup in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill. 
  3. Once tea is cooled pour into 4 popsicle molds. Put the molds in freezer and freeze overnight.

BLACK TEA INFUSED HONEY CAKE

This super moist and flavorful cake is elevated with black tea. For added fun, bake in a honeycomb pan so that guests can easily pull apart single servings.

For the cake, you will need:

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 2-3 bags of your favorite China Mist Black Tea

For the syrup, you will need:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and coat your cake pan with butter to ensure an easy release.
  2. Place your softened butter in a stand mixer and blend until the butter is smooth.
  3. Add light brown sugar and honey to the bowl. Mix together until fully incorporated.
  4. Mix in the vanilla and egg.
  5. Place flour, salt, baking powder, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk together to bring all of the ingredients together.
  6. Pour milk into a small saucepan. Start to heat the milk over medium heat, whisking frequently to make sure milk does not burn. Once hot, place tea bags in the milk and allow to brew for about 3-5 minutes depending on how strong you’d like your tea. Set aside and allow it to cool.
  7. Place half of the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of the cooled milk into the batter. Mix together until smooth. Repeat with the remaining dries and another 1/2 cup of cooled milk, mixing until everything comes together.
  8. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 48-50 minutes or until completely cooked through.
  9. While the cake is cooking, place the cup of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add tea bags and allow to brew for 3-5 minutes depending on how strong you’d like your tea!
  10. Add the honey and sugar to the saucepan and whisk together. Continue to cook until slightly reduced. Remove syrup from the stove and allow it to cool.
  11. This cake is best served warm! Once the cake is removed from the oven, brush the syrup over the cake with however much you want!

Next time you host poolside, try all or one of these China Mist tea recipes, and let us know which is the fan favorite!