L’heure du thé

Today we’re enjoying French tea and American macroons. Let me introduce you to the tea first and then let’s talk about the difference one “o” makes when baking.

My sister-in-law and I have spent a lot of time in Luxeuil-les-Bains where we found a lovely coffee/tea shop, Brûlerie Doillon. (If you don’t read French, you can find them on Facebook.) The small but attractive shop seemed to always be closed when we visited, but we peered in the windows to see all the canisters of tea, bags of coffee, a small seating area, and thought it would be lovely to sit on the outdoor patio during nice weather. To console ourselves when it was closed, we had to patronize a bakery or two in the area. 🙂 Well, maybe we were going to do that anyway.

Then one day, they were open! During subsequent visits, we enjoyed various coffee drinks, which came with a cube of brown sugar and a wrapped square of dark chocolate. I don’t use sugar in tea or coffee but those cubes are fun to just eat. 🙂 Before I left France the last time, my s-i-l presented me with a tin of Dammann Frères jasmine tea. From the Dammann Frères website:

“Of all the jasmine teas produced in China, Jasmin Chung Hao is one of the most delicate and fragrant. Made with a superb green tea, it produces a fresh and delicate brew.“

Dammann Frères has been around in one way or another since 1692 when Louis 14th granted Sir Damame the exclusive privilege to sell tea in France. What I love about jasmine tea is that beside the benefits of green tea, you have the wonderful, delicate scent of jasmine. Always remember that green tea should never been steeped in boiling water. Dammann Frères recommends 80°C/176°F for this tea.

A virtual tea party

Once a month, tea drinkers and snack lovers from all over the world virtually gather in New Zealand to share tea and friendship (with goodies throw in for good measure) at a virtual tea party hosted by Su.

Today I’m offering High Grown Kenyan from Williamson Tea in Kenya. It’s a lovely, full-bodied black which means it does have caffeine. But if you don’t want caffeine, there’s an easy way to remove almost all of it. Brew the leaves for only 30 seconds, throw out the tea, then re-steep the tea with boiling water. It’s easy and you’ll have no worries about how the decaffeinating was done, either. I’m happy to brew some that way for you.

To go with it, I’ve made blueberry crisp, probably my family’s most-requested dessert. I like to make it in this cobalt blue dish because I love the color and there’s the added benefit of not showing any possible blueberry stains. You can gild the lily with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like. So take a seat, relax, and enjoy Thursday.

for virtual afternoon tea 9.17.20

Tea-rrific!

It’s that time of month again…no, no, not that time! It’s time for us to have tea with Su all the way over in New Zealand where they have, by the way, brought their COVID-19 numbers down to zeros. Good for you!

Today tea is pu-erh, steeped in my antique Yixing clay pot and served in a beautiful handleless cup that our younger daughter gave me as a gift many years ago. Pu-erh is a fermented tea but don’t worry. It just tastes like rich, black tea, no fizz or anything like that. It’s the only tea that gets better as it ages. You might find it loose or compressed and it’s very good for digestion, so just right for serving with food.

Yixing clay pots are often used to brew just one sort of tea, as they tend over time to absorb the flavor of tea brewed in them. I found this one in an antique store in Seward, Nebraska while attending one of my high school reunions and instantly fell in love.

Of course we need to have something to eat with our tea so I’ve made a cinnamon chip danish. I’ll start cutting and would you grab plates and napkins? Thanks and enjoy!

#virtualteaparty2020