Tag: Rooibos/Honeybush

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Dessert by Deb’s Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie

Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie by Dessert by Deb
Rooibos / Flavoured

Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie came to me as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

A bit late to the party (whoops!) with this part of Dessert by Deb’s Bed & Breakfast Holiday Inn tisane blend, so I wasn’t able to get the price of it off of the website (likely either a seasonal offering only, or discontinued). If it is seasonal and back later, the general pricing for most blends is $6.75 for 25g.

Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie comes in a rich brown metallic pouch that is sealed and resealable, with a colourful polka dot label across the front of it. This is a rooibos blend which consists of organic: rooibos, peppermint, Canadian maple, coconut, spearmint, pink and blue cornflowers. It’s a very pretty blend, the cornflower petals honestly adds such gorgeous pops of colour throughout the blend. I primarily smell the mint (peppermint and spearmint are in this blend), as well as a background of rooibos (that sweet, medicinal aroma). It definitely reminds me of mint!

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep of Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie for 5 minutes.

Dessert by Deb also recommends to prepare Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie as a latte. I tried it plain (hot) first, and then added milk to it.

First Taste

Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie steeps to a deep reddish orange. There’s a strong mint aroma from it. It reminds me simply of a peppermint tisane, rather than a rooibos blend, because the mint is a very strong ingredient and greatly overpowers the other ingredients when it comes to the aroma of the steeped tisane. Taste wise, I found that I could taste the mint, as well as the rooibos. The rooibos was surprisingly stronger than I had anticipated, especially compared to the aroma of the drink. I can taste a light sweetness, hints of coconut, but mostly the medicinal quality of the rooibos and the mint from the peppermint and spearmint that’s present in the blend. The aftertaste on my tongue is the mint though, thankfully.

I did add some milk to the cup, and found that I could find the coconut a bit easier and the rooibos a bit less – so making it as a latte was definitely a win for me.

A Second Cup?

I did attempt to resteep Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie, but found that the flavour was primarily rooibos so I didn’t enjoy it. If you’re a rooibos fan, you’ll likely enjoy a resteep of Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie more than me.

My Overall Impression

I thought that Dessert by Deb’s Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie was just okay. As a person who isn’t a fan of rooibos, I’m a terrible judge of rooibos blends. I’m the first person to admit that I don’t like rooibos and I find it to have a strange medicinal quality that I just don’t like. That said, I think Peppermint Sprinkle Cookie has some redeeming qualities for me. I like the mint and the sweetness from the Canadian maple. It has a great mint aroma to it, and I think those who are looking for a light, tummy settling blend would enjoy this blend (especially if you’re a fan of rooibos). If you’re not a huge fan of rooibos, I would highly recommend preparing it as a latte because it helps temper down that medicinal quality of the rooibos base.

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Dessert by Deb’s Sweet Snickerdoodles

Sweet Snickerdoodles by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

First Impressions

As part of my bimonthly tea subscription box from Dessert by Deb, Sweet Snickerdoodles was a tea sample. It came in a bright purple metallic pouch with a white and black label on the front. This blend consists of certified organic: black tea, vanilla, cinnamon, Canadian maple, honeybush, brown sugar, and calendula petals.

The aroma of Sweet Snickerdoodles is strongly of cinnamon, maple, brown sugar, and vanilla. It smells like baking and it’s so inviting that way! I love it when a blend that has a name of a dessert or baked good actually smells like baking – the vanilla and brown sugar really helps in that regard. Also, it’s just a really pretty blend to look at.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Sweet Snickerdoodles in 100°C (212°F) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I did an initial steep of Sweet Snickerdoodles for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Sweet Snickerdoodles steeps to a golden orange, little bits of the tea blend escaped the stainless steel tea infuser that I had used. The aroma is a lot like the dry leaf – it smells like vanilla, maple, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The flavour mimics the aroma well – I can taste the warming quality of the cinnamon, it has a good amount of sweetness (from the maple and brown sugar), there’s the flavour of molasses from the brown sugar, and the vanilla rounds out the flavour profile very well. I find the black tea base is gently in the background, allowing all the flavours to shine.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Sweet Snickerdoodles, but found the the flavour wasn’t as good as the initial steep. I would recommend Sweet Snickerdoodles just for the one steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Sweet Snickerdoodles. I found that the flavour was pleasant, and while I’m not terrible familiar with snickerdoodles, it did remind me of a pastry. I think the blend of ingredients works well, because it reminds me a lot of a cinnamon roll – I love the inclusion of vanilla and brown sugar, it makes for a great dessert blend. I think if you’re to add some sweetener, brown sugar would be the best bet – and using some evaporated milk would help add some creaminess. It’d be a nice blend to have with afternoon tea.

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Dessert by Deb’s Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon Drizzle Cake by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flaovured
$6.50 for 25g

First Impressions

Lemon Drizzle Cake arrived as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert By Deb. If you go onto the Dessert by Deb website, you’ll notice that the subscription boxes are no longer available, but you can still order the teas/tisanes individually and basically create your own fun-filled box. Lemon Drizzle Cake comes in a matte gold pouch that is sealed and resealable, with a familiar colourful polka dot label on the front.

Lemon Drizzle Cake consists of organic: black tea, lemon peel, coconut, Canadian maple, rooibos, lemongrass, and calendula petals. The aroma is primarily lemon/lemongrass, coconut, and rooibos. The rooibos aroma is heavier than I generally prefer – that medicinal quality is stronger than the black tea base.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Lemon Drizzle Cake in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep of 6 minutes.

First Taste

Lemon Drizzle Cake steeps to a deep brown-orange. The aroma is a mix of coconut and lemon, and the rooibos is strongly noticeable in the aroma of the tea. On first sip, what I notice immediately is the lemon. There’s a touch of bitterness that balances against the sweetness from the maple. And then there’s the rooibos. There is definitely a medicinal quality to the flavour of Lemon Drizzle Cake that comes from the rooibos. I find that bitterness lingers on the tongue.

A Second Cup?

I attempted a second steep of Lemon Drizzle, and found the flavour to be very familiar to the initial steep with a lot of rooibos qualities in the flavour. If you’re a fan of rooibos, I would recommend a second steep of Lemon Drizzle Cake.

My Overall Impression

I didn’t like Dessert by Deb’s Lemon Drizzle Cake. I found that Lemon Drizzle Cake was very rooibos forward, and as someone who’s not generally a fan of rooibos, I didn’t appreciate it. I think if you’re someone who likes rooibos, you’ll likely enjoy it a lot more than I did. That said, if it had been more black tea forward, I would have liked it more, but alas, a rooibos-heavy blend is just not for me – and that’s okay! The great thing about the world of tea is the great variety of blends and products out there for everyone.

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