Though I've gotten used to having my tea sans sugar, honey, or cream, I cannot
help but look for a little something sweet to nibble on when it comes to my
midday cup. It's the little pick-me-up I need to get through the rest of my day.
I am also guilty of seeking sweets with my evening cup of herbal tea; a crumbly
cookie makes such a perfect companion to my Rooibos Vanilla tea.
While at the World Tea Expo and Fancy Foods Show this past summer, I took the
opportunity to hunt down goodies that we most associate with a cup of tea;
scones, crumpets, biscuits, cookies, etc. However, I found a nice little trio of
items that really stood out among the bevy of samples I took home or tasted,
because of their convenience as well as the main ingredient being tea.
Shortbread has always been, well at least in my memory, paired with tea, poured
into dainty cups with that you drank out of with your pinky raised. A recent
present given to me by a close friend was a box of Walkers' Shortbread, brought
from England. It had delicious pieces of candied ginger, which made it a little
bit more special than picking up a box from the supermarket.
I hope to find the following on supermarket shelves soon; BISCOTTEA brand
shortbread. They are like Walker's Shortbread, hip, young American cousin, as
they go great with a cup of Earl Grey sipped from bone china, as well a steaming
mug of Chai or an funky herbal infusion from a paper cup. BISCOTTEA is made from
all-natural ingredients and organic ingredients, and come in five different
flavors: Blueberry Tea, Chai Tea, Earl Grey, Honey bush, and Mint Tea. The tea
flavor is very subtle in taste, but you can definitely smell it as you open the
package. The tea really lends to the cookie's rich and buttery flavor and its
crumbly, crunchy texture. The package of two (also available 10 count packages)
makes it an easy snack on the go for that spontaneous cup of tea.
I first became acquainted with the next item at the New York Coffee and Tea
Festival that was held back in April, and was pretty thrilled to see that they
had gotten a booth at the World Tea Expo. Amai Tea and Bake House is a company
based in New York that focuses on using tea (Tea Sweets) and other exotic
ingredients (they also make these delicious Botanical Brownies, which lists
lychee and cherry blossom among its ingredients) in their handmade sweets. A
relatively young sweets company, started by Kelli Bernard (of the dessert blog
lovescool.com) I have a feeling that their Tea Sweets will make a great impact
on the NY culinary scene, especially when their retail location/tea house opens
later this year.
Amai's award-winning Tea Sweets include flavors such as Earl Grey and Currant,
Green Tea, White Tea and Strawberry, Lemongrass and Ginger, and Chai Almond. The
Green Tea cookies are my definite favorite. The texture differs from other
shortbread, as the Tea Sweets are more moist and delicate, to a point that I
have to sit down, chew, and really enjoy the pleasing sweetness of each cookie-
definitely not a cookie to scarf down while in rush-hour traffic- the Tea Sweets
are quite the experience! You can see the hard work put into each cookie-
hand-cut into dainty leaf and flower-like shapes, they are perfect for a tea
party or entertaining. They are also going on my list of ÔFabulous Food Gifts to
Give to Friends (and Myself)'. Who wouldn't love to receive a pretty box that
pulls out to reveal these delicate cookies wrapped in tea proverbs? I know I
wouldn't protest.
The last item on my list of sweets is the Keiko-Tea Green Chocolate Bars. Now
many chocolatiers have infused tea with Dark, Milk, and White chocolates and a
variety of other flavors. This bar is different in that it mixes actual Green
tea powder and leaves with cocoa butter to produce a lovely confection that is
creamy with the bite of green tea. There is an interesting texture that I
haven't experienced with other chocolates that include green tea- the inclusion
of the leaves adds a nice subtle crunch to the creaminess.
It's almost like biting into a matcha milkshake of sorts- it's definitely a rich
treat, but the small bars are suitable portions, though I find myself eating
several of the mignonettes and have to break into the larger one oz bar to
satisfy my taste buds- I doubt that this will be a Green tea product that will
help me shed the pounds! This chocolate bar makes a lovely pairing with a cup of
green tea, but also smokier black teas, as the creamy texture cuts the intensity
of the tea. They are also a fun way to introduce the little kiddies to the
wonderful taste of Green tea.
Incorporating tea with cooking and baking isn't anything new, but with more and
more interest on tea's complex flavors as well as its many health benefits,
perhaps incorporating tea into ready-to-eat snacks will become a new trend in
the gourmet food and supermarket industry. In the mean time, visit out TeaChef
page (follow the link on top of the screen) , as we are starting up the popular
contest again, with a new flavor of tea!
Happy Eating!
BISCOTTEA
Amai Tea and Bakehouse (you can buy their sweets online):
www.amainyc.com and owner's blog www.lovescool.com (shh! There's the recipe for the Green Tea cookies here!) :
Keiko Tea Green Chocolate (for a list of distributors/contact info):
Other Sites with Tasty Tea Treats:
Walker's Shortbread
Torn Ranch Chocolates
Vosgses Chocolates
TeaChef (new tea flavor to create a recipe with!)
