Tag: Recipe

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Iced Hojicha Latte

Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea – which makes it quite a bit different from other traditional Japanese green teas that aren’t roasted. Hojicha can be purchased as either leaves or twigs. The roasting process gives the tea a sweet, nutty and earthy aroma and flavour. Hojicha typically has lower levels of caffeine compared to other teas, which is one of the reasons why it is often had as an after-dinner drink. As a latte, Hojicha is had both iced and hot and I’ve been enjoying this drink iced lately – which prompted me to want to share a recipe with you all! I’ve been making this at home and the vanilla in the Vanilla Simple Syrup adds a nice level of creaminess to the latte so don’t skimp on that!

Iced Hojicha Latte Recipe – Serves 1

1 tablespoon Vanilla Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
2 teaspoons Hojicha
¾ cup hot water
⅓ cup milk (dairy or dairy-free alternative)
Ice cubes

Steep your Hojicha in hot water (I use 80°C/175°F) for 2 minutes.
Add in Vanilla Simple Syrup.
Allow tea to cool.
Fill glass with ice.
Pour in milk, and then tea.
If using a straw, don’t forget to use a reusable stainless steel, paper, or silicone straw.

Vanilla Simple Syrup Recipe

1 cup water*
1 cup sugar*
2 tsp vanilla extract

* You can make more or less Vanilla Simple Syrup depending on your Hojicha Latte needs. I used pure vanilla extract and organic cane sugar for my Vanilla Simple Syrup in this recipe. The basis of a Simple Syrup is to use a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water.

Super Simple Vanilla Simple Syrup Method

Using boiled water from a kettle, combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Mix until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Set aside to cool.

Less Simple Vanilla Simple Syrup Method

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan, and place over medium heat.
Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Allow syrup to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Add vanilla extract.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Pour Vanilla Simple Syrup into a jar or bottle and refrigerate.

The Vanilla Simple Syrup will keep for at least 2 weeks in the fridge – don’t forget to label with the date!

If you make this Iced Hojicha Latte, 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!

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Matcha Lemonade

When life gives you lemons, you make a Matcha Lemonade! This makes for a fun twist on an iced matcha that is refreshing, delicious and perfect for the summer – so why not give it a try? I love nice icy drinks in the summer, and having a little something that incorporates tea just makes it all better!

Matcha Lemonade Recipe – serves 2

Lemonade
2 tablespoons Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons lemon juice¹
700ml (3 cups) water

4 teaspoons matcha²
125ml (½ cup) warm water
Ice cubes
1 lemon (for garnish)

¹ 1 medium size lemon yields approximately 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice. I used lemon juice but you can use either.
² Because you are blending it with lemonade, I would not use the most expensive matcha from your tea stash for this drink. I used a lower grade matcha that’s still meant for drinking, because I knew I would be blending it with lemonade. A good quality matcha is typically $1 per gram, and do not use a matcha that has other ingredients in it besides matcha.

Mix Simple Syrup, lemon juice, and water in a pitcher – set aside.
Sift the matcha into a bowl – this helps get rid of the clumps.
Whisk with the warm water, add a little bit at a time. First you create a paste with the matcha and then thin it out with the remaining water.
Fill each glass with ice cubes.
Add half of the lemonade to each glass (350ml/1½ cups).
Add half of the matcha to each glass (62.5ml/¼ cups)
Garnish the rim of your glasses with a lemon slice or wedge.

Tea Tip! Pair your Matcha Lemonade with a paper or reusable glass or stainless steel straw.

Simple Syrup Recipe

1 cup water*
1 cup sugar*

* You can make more or less Simple Syrup depending on your Matcha Lemonade needs. I used organic cane sugar for my Simple Syrup in this recipe. The basis of a Simple Syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water.

Super Simple Simple Syrup Method

Combine equal parts sugar and boiled water from a kettle in a bowl.
Mix until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Set aside to cool.

Less Simple Simple Syrup Method

Combine all Simple Syrup ingredients in a saucepan, and place over medium heat.
Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Allow syrup to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Pour Simple Syrup into a jar or bottle and refrigerate.

The Simple Syrup will keep for at least 2 weeks in the fridge – don’t forget to label with the date!

If you make this Matcha Lemonade, 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!

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Creating the Ultimate Holiday Tea Latte

I have had colleagues describe me as being a little bit extra when I talked about the tea lattes I’ve made at home for myself. A couple weeks ago, one of my fellow nurses was making a cup of tea during night shift. Which led me to talk about what I made the last time I had that tea (spoiler alert: it was delicious and over the top). I’m all about making my tea lattes pretty and pretty tasty, and this guide for the Ultimate Holiday Tea Latte is really no exception to that rule.

The flavour that I’m all about during the holiday season is peppermint. It is a very winter/holiday flavour that I think a lot of people are familiar with. I love peppermint in my black tea blends, in my hot chocolate, and in candy cane form. There’s just something quintessential about peppermint and the winter holidays and that’s why it’s the basis for my Ultimate Holiday Tea Latte. This article is more of a guide or a how-to instead of a recipe.

Ingredients for this Ultimate Holiday Tea Latte include:

Black tea (either straight or blended with peppermint)
Sweetener of your choice
Milk or dairy-free alternative
Decorations (crushed candy canes, coloured sugar, sprinkles)

To start, make a cup of strong black tea – I use a bit more tea leaves than I would if I wasn’t planning to add milk to it. You can choose a plain black tea, or a black tea blend that already contains peppermint (either in dried leaf or extract/natural flavouring form) and then steep in 100°C (212°F) water for 3 to 5 minutes.

If you’re using a straight black tea, you can add peppermint extract after the tea has steeped. A little goes a long way when it comes to extract, you’ll want to add 1 or 2 drops only. You can always add more extract if needed, but you can’t take away if you pour in half the bottle. Be like Scrooge when it comes to your peppermint extract and be stingy!

Add your sweetener, sweeten to taste and personal preference. I still have some peppermint flavoured agave at a big chain tea store, but you can use honey, sugar, agave syrup – pretty much anything your heart desires. You can read up on different types of sweeteners here. You can also flavour your agave or honey directly with peppermint extract if you’re going to be using it a lot (again, be like Scrooge when it comes to flavouring anything with extract!).

Froth up some milk. Use your preferred method – I use the mason jar method a lot because that’s the equipment that I have on hand. For a little bit of extra holiday cheer, you can opt to use eggnog or whipped cream. It’s a bit more calorie-heavy, but it is the holidays so why not indulge a little bit? Nobody is saying to drink it like this every day…. Or are they? (Side note: I was introduced to chai lattes made with eggnog this year and it is delicious and really tastes like the holidays in a cup, minus the fact that it’s missing peppermint.)

Top the frothed milk with crushed candy canes, coloured sugar, or sprinkles. This really helps set the mood, and make it all the more festive while really putting your tea latte at the top of its holiday game.

And if you’re feeling particularly generous, make a second cup to share. Happy holidays, tea friends!

If you happen to make an Ultimate Holiday Tea Latte that’s at the top of its holiday game, share it on Instagram and tag me so I can see! @onemoresteep #onemoresteep