I came across this recipe and enjoyed the flavour so much I am making packets of it as Christmas gifts. And my kids are making some this weekend to give their teachers and activity leaders as gifts, too.
Spicy orange tea
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
14 whole cloves
3 tablespoons dried orange peel (I dehydrated my own after the kids ate a pile of oranges!)
10 whole black peppercorns
11 tablespoons loose black tea leaves (You could try green tea, too, or mix them together)
Put it all together in an air tight container
Leave it for a week
Boil some water
put one spoon of tea mix per person into teapot
add appropriate amount of water
steep for 2 – 5 minutes
pour into cups and enjoy!
Remember to label the packets you give as gifts, including instructions of use. Kids can decorate the labels to make them personal and unique gifts.
Maybe leave some out ready for Santa to have a nice cup (as long as he’s willing to boil the kettle himself!) while he puts presents into stockings for you!
Yum!! I think I will make that this week! My daughter will love it!
I do a few similar things around the holidays. The first is warm spiced wine. Red wine slowly warmed in a pot with a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, lemon slices and honey or sugar! The second is to scent my house. I take a small pot with water, lemon or orange slices, a cinnamon stick and cloves. I set it to boil then turn it down and let it simmer. People always comment when they come to my house that is smells like Christmas!
Hmm, what a great welcome for people, dhrynio 🙂 I’m noting that to try on Christmas Day, too.
Mulled wine I have also made, but I reserve it for winter so it’s nto a Christmassy thing for us Aussies 🙂
Hmm, I’m not a tea drinker, Ashleigh, but that does sound nice and certainly has a festive feel to it. Definitely a gift idea I’m now considering, too!
That sounds really good. I told my sister and she was immediately like “Oh, make it!” lol I’m going to need to get some tea leaves though. Our household prefers green tea. Thanks for the recipe, Ashleigh!
Let us know how it turns out, mcamf 🙂 I hope you and your sister enjoy your tea!
I found some of this at a craft fair last year. It was so good and I was do disappointed when I used the last of it. I’m so glad I came across this so I know how to make it on my own. I think I’ll see if I can find time to run to the store today and get the ingredients. I have some tea lovers in my family that would love this in their Christmas stocking.
Thanks for letting us know it is such a good tea, Jaimie, I hope you and those tea loving relatives enjoy your home made batch just as much.
I’ve tried the pre-made orange teas before and liked them immensely. However, I must admit I’m very selfish when it comes to giving away ready-made tea or tea leaves. If I do use this recipe, I’m likely to keep all of the tea for myself.
Maybe make a batch, wrap it and put it under the Christmas tree for yourself sorrowscal 🙂 or at least for someone you live with so you get to share it!
I was thinking of having one of the people I live with wrap it and just give it to me as their present to me. Did I mention I absolutely love tea? Because that is always on my Christmas to-get list.
You make it, they wrap it and give it? Be even better if you can get them to make it for you sorrowscal!
That would be easier said than done. Unlike my coffee-loving friend, I’m very finicky about homemade tea brews. However, I think teaching them how to make tea might be a fun holiday activity for me and my friends. We could even get out the Christmas cups and have a little tea tasting party to see who made the best batch.
A tea tasting party sounds like a great way to spend time with friends.
I’m sure it will be. I could probably use some of the recipes I’ve found on this blog in place of the usual coffee or tea cakes to make it a truly holiday-themed event. I think those Chocolate Royals would probably compliment this type of tea. It’s been my experience that chocolate and orange flavors tend to mesh well together.
I can’t argue with that sorrowscal as I love choc-orange as a flavour combination – yum!!!!!
Have you ever heard of candied orange peels? I like to serve them with chocolate and peppermint whenever I have the opportunity. I think I’m getting ahead of myslef though. I’m sure the tea-tasting party will go over very well.
Now you mention it, I have heard of candied orange peel but I’ve never tried it. May have to figure that one out now 🙂
Just remember not to eat the actual peel itself. You’d be surprised how many people go on and eat the peel as well as what it’s been candied with. I don’t know if there are any adverse affects but around here the peel isn’t usually also ingested.
Ok, you’ve lost me! What is candied peel then if you don’t actually eat the peel? You can eat peel – dried peel if often in mixed fruits (like in fruit mince pies and fruit cakes and Christmas pudding).
Oh! I’m up north right now and found out one of my favorite siblings in the entire world is trying to be vegan and wants to make a vegan holiday dessert or dish for everyone. Do you maybe know of anything that might make a good present in that regard?
Hmmm, the first things I thought of were some nice casserole or lasagne dishes but that’s not really what you were after… Maybe giving her a hamper of veggies from market would be a lovely gift, or a selection of nice herbs and spices?
She could make a Christmas tree shaped fruit platter, some fruit flummery with coconut or cashew milk, some Christmas fruit muffins (use banana instead of egg), a yummy salad or two, or a nut and lentil roast.
Hi Sorrowscal, I just came across a Jamie Oliver vegan feast that may help you…
No, you can eat the peel, just most people down here where I live choose not to eat the actual peel when they use candied peels in their dish. It gets confusing to me too sometimes.
So what is in it that you can eat if you don’t eat the peel??
We cover it in chocolate and hard candy as well as some soft chewable candies and then again in more chocolate. I’ve never really understood not eating the peel after doing all that work though.
So, you cover the peel with something yummy, eat the something yummy and throw out the peel from the middle (like an apple core or apricot stone)? Well, I have learnt something new 🙂
Yeah, but it seems like such a waste of a peel. I want to zest mine for my own personal recipes but then I’d feel bad because the others wouldn’t havve orange zest and zesting with a grater isn’t exactly the slowest of processes; I don’t want to spend a holiday party zesting orange after orange after orange peels.
Thank you for the recipes! I’ll definitely share the brownie and icecream ones with my little sister! She was feeling a little left out when I had to make a non-vegan cake the other day too.
I hope your sister enjoys the brownies and ice cream, Sorrowscal, and not feel she’s missing out.