Festive Recipes using our Holiday Teas
Delight your family and friends this Holiday season with these delectable Festive Recipes Holiday Tea Treats made with our Holiday Teas. These teas are delicious brewed as hot teas, but the recipes below take the experience one step further. Do you have a favorite recipe using our teas? Please share with us we’d love to try it!
Our Candy Cane organic rooibos blend is delicious hot or cold (yes any time ofyear!). Caffeine free and sugar free, this tisane brings joy to your taste buds!
Try this cookie recipe for your next holiday party. Easy to make and delightfully festive, they are certain to be a sensation!
Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Chocolate and mint … a perfect combination especially during the holiday season! We infused our organic Candy Cane Rooibos Holiday tisane in butter for a delicious, sweet mint flavor.
“Tea” butter:
7 oz butter
3 Tbsp Organic Candy Cane Rooibos
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the Candy Cane tisane and steep on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and steep for 5 minutes. Strain the leaves from the butter using a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Some of the butter clings to the tea leaves, so always make sure to use more butter than a recipe calls for when making infused tea butters. I strained the tea butter into a measuring cup to make sure I had enough for my cookies. Once strained, cool the butter so it solidifies.
Cookies:
½ cup (4oz) “tea” butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
Crushed candy canes (for the topping)
Pre-heat the oven to 400 and lightly grease a cookie sheet.
In an electric mixer beat the “tea” butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until creamy.
Stir the flour, cocoa, cream of tartar and soda together. Gradually add to the sugar/butter mixture until incorporated.
Roll the dough into balls and flatten in the palm of your hand. Cover one side of the cookie with the crushed candy cane pieces. Place on the greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
These cookies make great holiday gifts and are perfect for holiday cookie swaps.
Happy baking!
The aromatic spices in this tea blend are sure to make you feel warm and cozy this holiday season. And these blueberry muffins, using our gingerbread tea, are a sure way to make everyone in your house feel that coziness too.
Blueberry Gingerbread Tea Muffins
If, like me, you picked too many blueberries this summer (if it’s possible to pick “too” many) then here’s a recipe using those fabulous, frozen berries. Mixed with our Gingerbread black tea, this recipe will make your taste buds happy.
1 1/2 tsp Gingerbread Tea
1 cup water2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses1/2 cup oil (canola, sunflower…)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Preheat oven to 350 and grease/line muffin tins.
Boil water and steep the tea for 4 minutes. Strain and set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat the eggs then add sugar, molasses and oil. Beat until blended. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, soda and spices. Slowly add the flour mix to the eggs mixture and mix until blended. Add the brewed tea. Fold in the blueberries. Pour batter 2/3 full in the muffin tray and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
These muffins are very moist and delicious. Try them with a cup of S&V tea!
The aroma of vanilla and mint in this blend is particularly cheerful during the short days of winter. The taste? Delightful, smooth, refreshing. A perfect pick me up cuppa!
Want a special adult beverage for your friends and family this holiday season? Try this infusion of Holiday Tea in vodka to create aromatic, delicious cocktails. We made this easy recipe:
1 Tbsp Holiday Blend Tea
4 oz vodka
Blend together in a jar and let sit for 5 days to steep. Strain into another container.
Put ice in a small rocks glass. Add 1oz Holiday tea vodka and 1oz Irish Cream liqueur (like Bailey’s). Stir and enjoy! This cocktail is smooth and delicious. Want to “jazz” it up? Add a candy cane in the glass as a stirrer.
Fun and Festive!
The infused Holiday Tea Vodka also makes a great gift! Simply strain your tea vodka into a nice bottle, seal and tie with a festive ribbon. Add a hang tag of suggested cocktails and a homemade label to really impress your friends!
Our Nutcracker Tea blends together black teas with almonds, oranges and cranberries, topped with cinnamon and chocolate mint flavors. The taste is perfectly harmonious. Enjoy watching your favorite performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with a hot cup of tea and perhaps the decadent treat below!
Nutcracker Black Tea Caramels
These caramels are easy to make and are melt-in-your-mouth delicious! They also make a great gift. Simply put the finished caramels in a decorative box or tin and you’ve got the perfect hostess gift.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp Nutcracker Black Tea4 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour the cream into a 3 quart saucepan and heat over low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the Nutcracker tea. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain into a measuring cup and add extra cream, if necessary, to make 1 cup.
While the tea is steeping in the cream prepare your mold. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment so that excess paper hangs over the edges. Spray the parchment with nonstick spray.
In the saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the tea cream, sugar, syrup and water. Stir and cook until boiling. Attach a candy thermometer into the saucepan and continue to cook to 250°F. (Don’t have a way to attach the thermometer? We balanced our thermometer through a slotted spoon.)
Once the caramel reaches 250, remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the vanilla extract and pour into the prepared parchment lined dish. Allow the caramels to cool at room temperature for a few hours, or overnight, before cutting.
When the caramels are cooled, lift with the parchment paper onto a cutting board. Cut with a sharp knife into your desired size. Place each caramel in a piece of waxed paper. Fold the paper and twist the ends.
Voila delicious tea caramels!
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there….”
If you have St. Nick’s Tea in the house you have a delicious tea that taste like chocolate, roasted nuts and a hint of maple. You also have an ingredient you can use in your holiday baking. We have a delectable latte recipe below and a holiday favorite of mine … cheesecake (made with St. Nick’s whipped cream of course).
I hope St. Nicholas visits your house with lots of goodies this year!
St Nick’s Tea Latte
2 tsp St. Nick’s Black Tea
½ cup water
1 cup almond milk (or milk, soy milk, etc).
1 ½ tsp. sugar (to taste)
Whipped cream
Cinnamon
Boil water and pour over St. Nick’s Black Tea. Steep for 4 minutes. While the tea is steeping heat the milk on the stove-top. Strain the brewed tea into a mug. Pour the hot milk over the tea in the mug. Stir in sugar, top with whipped cream and cinnamon.
Enjoy!
St. Nick’s Cheesecakes
The holidays are a VERY busy time of the year. With everything to think about and all the things that need to be done (shopping, wrapping, shipping, cleaning, cooking, entertaining. holiday concerts, … ) here’s a dessert that’s easy and fast. You can make your own graham cracker crust or purchase pre-made ones to make this recipe even easier.
2 pkgs (12) small graham cracker crusts
2 pkgs (16 oz total) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Heat oven to 325°F.
In a mixer, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed until blended. Spoon into crusts.
Bake 25 minutes until centers are almost set. Cool completely at room temperature and then refrigerate 2 hours.
Make tea cream:
In a small saucepan combine:
2/3 cup whipping cream
4 tsp St. Nick’s Black Tea
Heat the cream until hot and steaming, but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the tea. Cover and steep 4 minutes. Strain the tea cream into a measuring glass and add extra cream to reach 2/3 cup. Refrigerate tea cream, stainless mixing bowl and beaters.
Assemble:
When the cheesecakes are cool, beat the tea cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread onto the cooled cheesecakes.
Top with sliced strawberries, blueberries, chocolate shavings, whatever your heart desires.
Presto! An elegant and delicious holiday dessert that is easy to make and will delight you and your guests!
Sugar Plum Fairy – Rooibos Herbal Tisane
The holidays can be a very hectic and overwhelming time. But there are so many aspects that are truly amazing and to which we can hopefully turn our focus. Amidst the hustle and bustle you will always find kindness and generosity. People will amaze you with this! If you don’t think you see it, stop for a moment and look around you. I bet you’ll find it, even if it’s only a very small gesture. Sometimes the smallest gestures are the ones that ripple out into the world to create tidal waves of love, compassion and kindness that connect us all.
I love the gathering of friends and family. Holiday parties are a great time to sing songs, exchange ideas and eat, drink and be merry. I especially like the merry. The holiday lights, the decorations, the colors, the laughter.
Let’s not forget the viewing delights! The holidays would not be complete, for me, without a few classics … The Year without a Santa Claus because I love the Heat Miser and the Snow Miser and their little dancing minions. It’s A Wonderful Life – no holiday is complete without the reminder that we are all special and important in this world. And, of course, Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker. I have it playing now as I write this.
Our Sugar Plum Fairy blend combines green rooibos with spices and fruits that brew to a heady aroma with a flavor that is a perfectly balanced blend of fruity, sweet and exotic. We steeped it in butter to make this scrumptious sugar cookie recipe. A must for your holiday cookie swaps!
Sugar Plum Fairy Cookies
Tea butter:
1 cup + 4 Tbsp salted butter
5 Tbsp Sugar Plum Fairy Tisane
In a small saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat, add the tea, stir, cover and steep 8 minutes. Strain into a measuring glass to make sure the tea butter equals a little over 1 cup. Refrigerate.
Cookies:
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg yolk (reserve the egg white)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or use the Holiday tea vodka above)
2 3/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp milk (if needed)
When the tea butter is cool and softened (not hard) put it in a mixer and blend on medium speed with the confectioner’s sugar. Add the egg yolk, salt and extract and mix until combined. Slowly add in the flour. If the dough needs any help coming together add the milk slowly as needed.
Cut 2 sheets of waxed paper. Turn the dough out onto one of the sheets of waxed paper and form a ball. Divide it in half and place each half on a sheet of waxed paper. Form the dough into a flat, round shape and wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Remove the dough from the fridge and let soften until you are able to roll it out. On a floured surface, roll out one of the pieces of dough to approximately 1/4″ thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter or small drinking glass. Re-roll and repeat.
Place the formed cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet or an ungreased sheet. Use the reserved egg white for a glaze. Whisk a little water (no more than 1 Tbsp) into the egg white and brush onto the cookies. Sprinkle with colored sugar and bake for 12 minutes (or until lightly browned).
“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland…”
This blend is a big seller for us – all year long! The delightful combination of green rooibos, cacao and cinnamon is flavored with Bavarian chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnuts. Snuggle up to a cup after a walk in a winter wonderland. Or bring some in a thermos to enjoy on your snowy adventures!
We steeped Winter Wonderland Rooibos Tisane in milk to make this tasty coffeecake that your family will love. The aroma is heavenly and the taste is delicious!
Winter Wonderland Streusel Coffeecake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp Winter Wonderland, herbal tisane
Streusel Mixture:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp butter, melted
4 Tbsp flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8″ square pan.
In a small saucepan heat the milk and the Winter Wonderland until hot (but not boiling). Cover, remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the herbal blend and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix the canola oil into the flour and sugar mixture until it is like cornmeal in texture.
In another bowl, combine the egg, tea infused milk and vanilla extract.
Add to the flour mixture and stir only enough to mix, do not over blend.
In a small bowl combine the streusel ingredients.
Pour 1/2 of the mixture into the baking pan and sprinkle ½ of the streusel mix over the batter. Add the remaining batter on top, and sprinkle with the other 1/2 of the streusel mix.
Bake for 35 minutes until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
We hope you enjoy these recipes and the teas and tisanes we used to create them. Happy Holidays to all!
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