London Fog Tea

I was inspired to try this hot beverage by my favorite Australian blogger, Lorraine Elliott, a.k.a. Not Quite Nigella. Her blog is always funny, her recipes are unique, and her photos are fantastic. You can check her out at www.notquitenigella.com.

Apparently London Fog Tea did not originate in London, but in the rainy, foggy Northwest of Canada. If you have ever traveled to Canada, you know there is a very strong British influence, along with the French. You can find delicious British teas and treats, including this yummy beverage which is just perfect for a cold, gray, cloudy day.

I asked my hubby to pick up a box of Earl Grey black tea so I could experiment with making London Fog Tea. Earl Grey is a mixture of black tea leaves with citrus and bergamot flavoring. It's easy to find in your regular supermarket.

My first cup wasn't quite what I hoped for. I used one single teabag and my tea was WEAK. Yuck. Nothing worse than weak black tea. I also used organic stevia instead of sugar. If you want to keep your tea sugar-free, you might need to experiment with sweeteners to find what works best for you. My husband is sold on Truvia, a blend of sugar alcohols with stevia. There are many new blends out there which I haven't tried, so let me know if you find something you like!

For my second attempt, I went with 2 teabags, whole milk, and vanilla sugar. This was a winning combination. If you don't need any sweetener, just use a drop of vanilla extract instead of the vanilla sugar. (Vanilla sugar is made by leaving 1-2 whole vanilla beans in a small container of white sugar for at least a few days, or weeks, or months, or years. The longer the beans sit in the sugar, the more intense the vanilla flavor will become. You can also make vanilla extract by steeping the beans in brandy or another hard liquor.)

Ingredients:

2 Earl Grey Teabags
1 cup boiling water
1 cup steamed whole milk (I just warmed mine in the microwave for 1 minute!)
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (or a drop of vanilla extract and a drop of organic stevia)

Combine all ingredients in a large ceramic mug. (If you want a smaller beverage, cut all ingredients in half and use a petite tea cup!) I like to leave the teabags in my cup, but you can also steep for 3-5 minutes and then remove. Enjoy your afternoon pick-me-up!