Author: Michelle

Posted on

Matcha White Hot Chocolate

Some people argue that white chocolate isn’t real chocolate, because it doesn’t actually contain cocao solids. But then, there are people who call it chamomile tea and peppermint tea – and you don’t see me waving a pitchfork at them for the misuse of the word tea instead of tisane…

It’s been chilly in Canada lately. You might have heard of the three snow storms that British Columbia was subjected to last week, or the State of Emergency called in Newfoundland & Labrador (that’s the east coast for you!)… So what better excuse is there for me than to stay home with a cup of hot chocolate? And since it’s me being me, I had to be a little bit extra and fancy with it… and make it a Matcha White Hot Chocolate.

And I’ve already got the recipe ready to go so you can make two cups! One for you, and one for your equally matcha-obsessed love (or friend).

Matcha White Hot Chocolate – Serves 2

2 cups milk¹
½-⅓ cup white chocolate chips²
2 tbs matcha (sifted)³

Optional Garnish Ideas:
Whipped cream
Candy canes
Sifted matcha
White chocolate shavings
Miniature marshmallows

¹ I used unsweetened soy milk for mine, you can opt to use dairy or dairy-free alternatives.
² If you can’t find white chocolate chips at your local grocery store, a high quality white chocolate bar (chopped!) will work as well. Bonus, you can eat the leftovers. You can also use regular sweetened chocolate chips, but the colour (and flavour) definitely won’t be the same.
³ There are so many types of matcha out there! I would recommend using a traditional matcha (100% matcha, no additives or “drink mixes”). I used Whisk Premium Matcha’s Everyday in making this recipe.

In a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium heat, put in all the ingredients – don’t forget to sift the matcha for some anti-clumping action.
Whisk until chocolate chips are melted and well incorporated.
Do not allow the mixture to boil!
Once everything is heated and well-mixed, pour into mugs.
Top with optional garnish(es).

If you make this Matcha White Hot Chocolate, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!

Pin this recipe for later!

Posted on

Adagio Teas’s Mango

Mango by Adagio Teas
Black Tea / Flavoured
$7.00USD for 6 quart-sized pouches

Adagio Teas has provided me with Mango as a sample with the Tea Advent Calendar (you can still find highlights from me opening all 24 days on my Instagram, @onemoresteep), a review of this tea was not requested.

First Impressions

Mango is a curious black tea blend from Adagio Teas. I received it as a sample when Adagio Teas sent me their 2019 Tea Advent Calendar, and I decided why not try and review it! It came as a pitcher-ready tea bag, so it’s fairly big. I did open up the pitcher tea bag to get a better look at the tea blend inside. The material feels a bit silky, I’m not sure what it’s made of.

Mango smells just like the mango fruit – I can’t make out the black tea base, but I’m not upset about it because it smells just like the fruit and I’m excited for it. Mango consists of: black tea, mango pieces, natural mango flavour and marigold petals.

Preparation

Adagio Teas recommends steeping Mango overnight in 4 cups of water (1 quart) with the cold brew/cold steep method.

If you want to try Mango as a hot tea, Adagio Teas recommends steeping in 212°F (100°C) water for 3 minutes.

Despite it being a winter wonderland outside the day that I decided to do this, I opted to cold steep Mango directly in my pitcher (this one!) with 1 quart of water (fun fact, 1 US quart is equal to 946mL). I used room temperature water that was previously boiled, and then popped the pitcher into the fridge for approximately 6hrs.

First Taste

Mango steeps to a lovely golden orange colour. It’s a very clear colour, and smells amazing. The aroma is primarily that of the mango fruit and it smells sweet. Surprisingly, the tea itself isn’t as sweet as I was expecting it – but there is no added sugar in the ingredients so perhaps I should have thought of that. The flavour is sweet and fruity, with a nice crispness to it. The black tea base is quite present in the steeped tea – I found it to have a bit of a nutty flavour to it which balances well against the more sweet, mango flavours.

I don’t really think it requires a lot of sweetener – but if you decide to add something to it, I would recommend something that easily dissolves in cold water (like agave syrup).

A Second Cup?

Due to the nature of the preparation of Mango, I did not opt to resteep the leaves.

My Overall Impression

I loved Adagio Teas’s Mango. I thought this black tea blend smelled and tasted like what I expected from a tea that calls itself Mango. I enjoyed the fact that it had multiple methods of steeping instructions – and I went for the one suggested on the packaging. It has a pleasant freshness to it that can only be captured in a cup of iced tea, and I think it’d be great in the summer time (perhaps with a wedge of lemon on the side?). Do take care when adding sweetener though, as the mango fruit itself does add some sweetness and you wouldn’t want to overwhelm it..

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

Posted on

DavidsTea’s Forever Frosty

Forever Frosty by DavidsTea
Herbal Infusion / Flavoured
$8.98 for 50g

First Impressions

Forever Frosty piqued my interest because it’s a winter/seasonal version of Forever Nuts – which is a long-time fan favourite (and if you want to see some seriously poor tea photography, you can check out my 2016 review of Forever Nuts!) and a tisane that I enjoy usually as a latte. Which, of course, meant that I was curious enough to pick up a bag to give it a try.

This is a curious blend that came in a sealed, resealable silver pouch. A very familiar bright yellow label adorns the bag and gives you all the necessary information about the blend. I highly recommend giving it a good shake before scooping some out to steep because all I saw when I first opened the bag were huge candied almonds and large slices of dried oranges. Not very appealing! Forever Frosty smells like cinnamon and oranges, which is nice, but doesn’t really make me think of Forever Nuts. Surprisingly, I don’t really smell almonds. Forever Frosty consists of: apple, candied almonds, almonds, orange slices, marshmallows, cinnamon, beetroot, coconut flakes, orange peel, cloves, artificial sweet roasted almond, and natural orange flavouring.

Preparation

DavidsTea recommends steeping Forever Frosty in 95°C (200°F) water for 5+ minutes. I opted to follow the steeping instructions and I did an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Forever Frosty steeps to a very bright pink, a lovely colour from the beetroot. It has a very sweet, orange aroma to it with hints of cinnamon mingling in the background. I don’t really smell or taste almonds, which is unfortunate because that’s one of the key components of Forever Nuts. The colour is significantly brighter, in my opinion, than the pink of Forever Nuts. I do find there’s a bitter component to the blend though, which isn’t very pleasant. Sweet, bitter, orange, and cinnamon – with the cinnamon being the real wintery flavour that I can make out in the tisane.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Forever Frosty, but it didn’t really improve matters and just resulted in a fairly weak drink. I would recommend Forever Frosty for just one steep.

My Overall Impression

I didn’t like DavidsTea’s Forever Frosty. I think it was a very valiant attempt at a seasonal take on the perennial favourite Forever Nuts, but I don’t think it quite captured enough of the essence of Forever Nuts or the season, which is unfortunate. I was really hoping that the flavour and aroma of the almonds would come out more, especially since almonds appear in the ingredients three times.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.