With Halloween parties and apple picking just around the corner, Candy apples and apple cider have resurfaced as a craving for us all. To get our fix, we have infused our maple chai into a caramel and a candy coating to take a nostalgic caramel candy treat and blend it with the flavor of your favorite apple fall beverage! Dip the apples in One or both of these coatings, but you won’t be disappointed no matter your choice!

Supplies needed:

• Candy Sticks (look in cake decorating section)
• Candy Thermometer
• Cheesecloth
• ~8 apples
• Dominion Tea Maple Chai
• Parchment Paper
• Heavy Cream
• Light Corn Syrup
• Brown Sugar
• Salted Butter  
• White Caster Sugar (finer than granulated sugar, but standard sugar is fine)
• Red Food Coloring

Prep:

Carefully remove apple stems and insert candy sticks into the center of the apple.

Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper, along with prepared apples, and place in your fridge while you prepare your coatings. This will help your coatings set quickly!

Caramel Coating:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup  Salted Butter
• 4 Tbsp Maple Chai

Step 1: Wrap your maple chai in your cheesecloth, tie at the top to create something similar to a bindle bag, and pour heavy cream into a heat-proof container.

Step 2: Microwave in 15-second increments until your heavy cream changes color and is fragrant. Once you reach this point, remove your tea and squeeze it between 2 spoons. You have now created your infused heavy cream concentrate.

Step 3: Pour heavy cream and remaining ingredients into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat, stir until butter is melted. Once butter is melted, scrape the edges (this will be the last time to stir until your caramel is up to temperature to avoid crystalization) and attach your candy thermometer to the pan, being careful not to touch the bottom.

Step 4: Without stirring, bring your caramel to a soft boil and wait till it reaches anywhere from 230°F – 240°F (230°F gives a softer caramel that We have preferred; closer to 240°F gives you a harder and stickier caramel like to your carnival candy apples) Once to your desired temp remove from heat let cool and thicken for a few minutes.

Step 5: Once the caramel thickens, pull your apples out of the fridge and, while carefully holding the stick, twist your apples at an angle in your caramel until you have reached your desired texture. Carefully scrape against the side of your pan and place back on your baking sheet.

Step 6: Repeat this with remaining apples and set it in the fridge for at least 10-15 minutes to cool the caramel and firm it up.

Step 7: Enjoy!

Special Note: If wanting to have caramel coated candy apples, follow instructions below, dip in candy coating first and then allow to fully harden before dipping in caramel.

Candy Coating:

• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 4 tbsp Maple Chai
• 1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
• Red Food Coloring

Step 1: In a heat-proof container, pour boiled water over your loose-leaf maple chai and allow to set for 5 minutes. Stir the tea and strain your leaves through a sieve or cheesecloth. This will be your Maple Chai Concentrate.

Step 2: In a saucepan, pour your sugar, concentrate, and light corn syrup into a pot over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, scrape sides and place your candy thermometer, being careful not to touch the bottom. (alike to your caramel, refrain from stirring until candy is up to temp to avoid crystalization)

Step 3: Bring to a soft boil and wait until you reach 300°F, or hard ball stage. Once your thermometer reads 300, immediately remove from heat and add your red food coloring to your liking.

Step 4: Carefully holding onto the apple sticks, twist the apple at an angle until fully covered. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining apples. Repeat again if you would like a thicker candy coating.

If candy begins to harden too fast, you can place it back on the stove at a low temp and bring it back up to heat; just be careful not to leave it on too long as not to burn the sugar.

Step 5: Let Cool to Harden and Enjoy!

Whether it is mandarin oranges or tangerines, citrus fruits have played a large role in Chinese medicine for centuries. So it is no surprise to find a practice of stuffing tea into these dried fruits.

History

Starting back around the Song Dynasty (900-1269CE), citrus fruit was used to treat sore throats, nausea, and congestion. The fruit would be eaten, then the rind would be dried and steeped in boiling water or tea. There is currently no known documentation around when tea, and specifically puerh, began being stuffed into dried citrus fruit. However given that the Song Dynasty continued the rise of tea as an everyday beverage for all Chinese people, that began during the previous dynasty, it is not a far stretch to speculate that tea may have been stuffed into citrus during this period. Much of the citrus fruit in China is also grown in the same regions as the tea – Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian.

How Mandarin Oranges are Stuffed with Puerh

As you can imagine it is a rather labor intensive to stuff tea into an empty citrus rind. To start, a small hole is carved into the top of the fruit and then needle nose plyers are used to reach into the fruit and pull out all the citrus meat and thin the rind. Then, while the rind is still soft, tea is dropped into the rind, the fruit is then shook and the tea gently pressed down until the rind is full. The cap is put back on and the fruit is put out to sun dry or into a dryer at less than 200°F to dry the rind. The tea has already been fully dried. So, the thing to note about this production process, the goal is to not crack the rind while pulling apart the fruit or stuffing in the tea. The amount of money a tea manufacturer can get for these creations is judged on how little damage there is to the rind.

Since this tea is thought of more as medicine in China, its flavor profile is rarely considered. However, those of us approaching it strictly for its flavor will find a similarity to Earl Grey. It is earthier, because of the aging of the puerh and citrus rind, but still has a citrus finish. One of our favorites is a 2007 Mandarin Orange stuffed with a shu puerh from Yunnan.

How to Brew a Mandarin Orange Stuffed with Puerh

Western Style Preparation: Break off roughly 3 grams (about a teaspoon) of puerh and orange rind and add to infuser. Steep 2-3 minutes with boiling water. Re-steep a second time for 3-4 minutes. Try additional infusions at 5 minutes each while you are still happy with the taste & strength of infusion. Store any unused mandarin orange puerh in an open zip-lock bag away from any strong aromas (a home office is a great location). This tea can continue to age for years to come if desired.

Asian Style Preparation: Using a medium size Gaiwan infuse 2/3 to one whole mandarin orange ball with boiling water. Perform a quick wash by pouring boiling water over the mandarin orange puerh ball before immediately discarding. Then steep 20 seconds and pour off into a cup or small pitcher and enjoy. Steep a second time for about 15 seconds and enjoy. Steep 6-10 more times adding slightly to the infusion time subsequent infusion.

Across a multitude of years and cultures, the consumption of mulled wine is long synonymous with winter, evocative of cold nights, holiday gatherings, and good cheer. Brewed by steeping a variety of herbs and spices into (most often) a red wine base, this festive beverage has a long and storied history that is well worth looking into.

The making of mulled wine dates back to antiquity, first entering written records in the 2^nd century BCE. The ancient Romans were frequent consumers of various mulled concoctions, with mentions by such writers as Pliny the Elder and Apicius. In addition to being delicious, spiced wine was considered medicinally beneficial, as its purported “hot, dry” properties were seen as an effective remedy against imbalances of the humours. Over the centuries, the spread of the Roman empire and increase of global trade resulted in spiced wine’s popularity throughout much of mainland Europe and into Asia. One commonly-seen variant was known as hippocras, which in addition to either red or white wine, featured spices such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger, long pepper, and grains of paradise. It was known to have been served both hot and at room temperature – while overnight, room-temperature steeping of the spices was one of the more frequent methods to make it, heating the mixture ensured that added sweeteners dissolved into the liquid properly.

As time went on, hippocras and beverages of its kind continued to spread and shift according to regional taste and preference. Sugar or honey was often added, especially in hot preparations, to balance astringency. In the British Isles, hot mulled wine mixtures were a common way to stave off the winter’s bitter chill, eventually giving rise to such drinks as wassail and Smoking Bishop (one of several members of the “ecclesiastical” family of mulled wines, including the claret-based Smoking Archbishop and the burgundy-based Smoking Pope).

Meanwhile, in Germany and the Alsace, glühwein emerged as another popular winter beverage, and today remains a staple of many regional Christmas Markets. Nordic countries favor a similar preparation called glögg, gløgg, or glöggi, which, in addition to wine and spices, may also feature add-ins such as juice, syrup, or harder spirits. Across the ocean, Brazilians enjoy vinho quente during their winter months, especially mid-June. The list goes on! All over the world, mulled wine is enjoyed as a delicious and fortifying way to warm up from the cold. The variations in spices and additives are virtually endless. We here at Dominion Tea love a cinnamon and clove-forward blend, with ginger, allspice, and lemon peel for extra flavor. What’s your favorite mixture?

By: Jen Coate