Category Archives: Cooking with Tea

Cooking with loose tea provides many ways to incorporate the taste and aroma of tea and tisanes into your cooking. From seasoning to ice cream and cocktails.

Dragon’s Moon Soup

Chilly autumn days call for some of our favorite cozy things! Warming hot teas, delicious soups… which gave us an idea. Why choose one tasty thing when you can have both? This hearty vegan soup makes perfect use of our favorite fall herbs and veggies, swapping out a traditional broth base for a concentrated black tea infusion to give it extra body and character. Savory, rich, and surprisingly substantial, this soup will store in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for later use within a few months. 

Dragon’s Moon Soup 

(Serves 6) 

Ingredients: 

4-5 pieces Dragon’s Moon tea (or approx. 20 grams of any strong Chinese black tea) 

4 cups of water 

1 large butternut squash (approx. 3 lbs) 

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 

½ teaspoon sea salt 

3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed, and chopped 

½ tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced 

½ tablespoon fresh thyme, minced 

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped 

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 

Fresh-ground black pepper 

Salt and nutmeg to taste 

Chopped parsley, toasted nuts or pepitas, or crusty bread (for serving, optional) 

For the tea infusion: 

In a small pot or heat-resistant bowl, pour boiling water over your Dragon’s Moon tea. Steep for five minutes, then remove and discard the leaves and set liquid aside for later. 

For the soup: 

  1. Begin by roasting your squash and carrot. Preheat oven to 375° F. While it is warming, peel your squash, trim off the stem and bottom, and slice it lengthwise down the center. Scoop out the seeds and dice into approx. 1” cubes. Spread on a baking tray along with your peeled and chopped carrot. Brush all vegetables with oil, then roast for 30-40 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. (Note: while this step is optional, it will add extra flavor and reduce your soup’s cooking time considerably). 
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven on stovetop over medium heat. Once shimmering, add onion, sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper, sautéing 5-10 minutes until soft. 
  1. Add in your squash and carrot and cook 3-5 minutes, just enough to lightly brown. (Note: if you forgo initial roasting, this may take closer to 10-12 minutes). 
  1. Add herbs, ginger, and garlic, stirring and cooking until nicely fragrant, about 1 minute. 
  1. Add 3 cups of your tea infusion, reserving one final cup. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer 20-30 minutes until squash is very tender. 
  1. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and homogenous. (Note: this can also be achieved using a regular blender or by hand with a potato masher). Adjust thickness of soup by adding small amounts of your remaining tea infusion until consistency is to your liking. 
  1. Season generously with salt and freshly ground nutmeg, tasting for flavor. Serve immediately, topping with fresh parsley and chopped nuts or pepitas. This soup pairs beautifully with a dark herb salad and warm crusty bread. 

By: Jen Coate

Barmbrack – Traditional Irish Tea Bread

Barmbrack, Traditional Irish Tea Bread

When it comes to sweet treats and fun traditions, you really can’t beat Halloween. Although there are some staple goodies when it comes to the season – caramel apples, s’mores, and candy, to name a few – sometimes the most interesting rituals are ones that point back to much older origins. One such custom is the making of barmbrack, a traditional Irish tea bread long associated with Halloween. 

Although the connection between barmbrack and Halloween in Ireland has been lost to recorded history, the confection may trace parts of its origin to soul cakes, small scone-like cakes that were baked on the Christian festival of All Soul’s Eve (also known as All Hallows Eve, the immediate predecessor to our modern Halloween), and given to beggars in exchange for prayers for the departed. But many years before that, soul cakes were thought to have been used in the rites of Samhain, a Celtic pagan festival marking the end of the summer harvest and the coming days of winter. These cakes may have been used for divination purposes, or as offerings for wandering spirits on a night when the veil between worlds was thin. 

Quite some backstory for a simple tea-bread! These days, barmbrack is most often baked in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora as a tasty treat for the Halloween season. But lest anyone forget its ancient origins, there is still a touch of divination to the barmbrack tradition – often, a few small tokens are baked into the loaf, which are said to foretell the future of those who find them. Most commonly included are a ring (for love or marriage), a coin (for wealth), and a pea or bean (for prosperity). 

Want to try making barmbrack yourself? Here’s one of our favorite recipes, courtesy of Donal Skehan (including a few notes of our own). Don’t forget to serve up with a cup of your favorite warming tea. Happy Halloween! 

You will need: 

13 oz assorted dried fruit (We like a mix of chopped dried apricot, raisins, and figs) 

2 oz whiskey (optional) 

9 oz cold black tea (such as Irish Breakfast) 

Butter, for greasing 

8 oz all-purpose flour 

2 tsp baking powder 

4½ oz light brown sugar 

1/2 tsp mixed spices (Hint: a pumpkin or apple pie spice blend would work well here!) 

1 large egg 

A ring, to place inside (optional, but fun!) 

Steps: 

  1. Place the mixed fruit in a bowl and pour over with tea and whiskey. Allow to soak up the liquid overnight. 
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Grease and line a 2 lb loaf pan. 
  1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and spices in a mixing bowl. Make a well and break in the egg, then use a wooden spoon to mix it with the dry ingredients. Add a little bit of the liquid from the mixed fruit and mix it through to form a wet dough (Note: you may not need all the liquid to get there, so add in small amounts). 
  1. Stir in the fruit until everything is thoroughly combined. Add the ring (and any other charms you like) and stir through. Spoon the dough into the lined loaf tin, place on the middle rack in the oven, and bake for 1 hour. 
  1. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf tin and placing on wire rack. Your brack will be excellent fresh from the oven, but even better over time as its flavors deepen. 

Written and Baked by: Jen Coate

Holiday Tea Cookies

Holiday Cookies with Tea: Green Tea Ginger Biscuits, Lapsang Souchong Maple Cookies, and Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is there anything better than tea and cookies? How about cookies that are made with tea? Here are a few tasty treats that we’ve come up that use tea as a main ingredient. Just in time for the holidays!

Green Tea Ginger Biscuits

Green Tea Ginger Biscuits
3/4 cup (170 g) ginger biscuits green tea infused butter, at room temperature*
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for coating
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Using either a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together infused butter and sugars, mixing for about 2 minutes until mixture is pale, and fluffy. Add egg and honey, one at a time, beating on medium-low speed until combined. Add dry ingredients gradually, beating until evenly incorporated.
  3. Place dough in airtight container and chill for at least 2 hours.
  4. Once dough is completely chilled, preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar to coat before placing on prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies are puffed and slightly cracking on the top, and golden on the edges (they will flatten as they cool). Remove from oven, allow to cool for 4-5 minutes before placing on a wire rack.
  6. Decorate with your favorite festive glaze, frosting, or sprinkles (we drizzled ours with a matcha and white chocolate glaze).

*when infusing tea into butter, your butter quantity will appear to decrease as it melts and re-solidify. To make certain your amount is correct, use a weight measurement. See our recipe for infusing butter with tea.

Lapsang Souchong Maple Cookies

Lapsang Souchong Maple Cookies
3/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup Lapsang Souchong infused maple syrup, plus 2 tablespoons to glaze
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

  1. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add in Lapsang Souchong maple syrup and vanilla and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, mixing until combined. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, then beat until fully incorporated.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet (if dough feels too wet to hold its shape, chill until firm). Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies are a light golden brown.
  3. While cookies are still warm, brush tops lightly with remaining Lapsang Souchong infused maple syrup to glaze. Leave on baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Top with sprinkles or other decorations, if desired.

Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
5 teaspoons chocolate chai, ground into a fine powder and sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces dark chocolate chips or chunks

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and tea powder. Set aside.
  2. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together melted butter and brown and white sugars until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla extract and mix.
  3. Add flour mixture in a single batch, mixing gently at a low speed. Mix until mostly combined, then beat at medium-high until fully incorporated and no flour streaks remain. Add in chocolate and mix until evenly distributed. Transfer dough to airtight container and allow to chill for at least an hour and up to 2 days.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough out into balls on sheets, rolling slightly with hands to form. Space dough balls generously to allow for spread.
  5. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown. After removing from oven, optionally sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt for added flavor.

Created by Jen Coate

Warm Cocktails for the Holiday Season

Move over, hot toddies! Tea has so much more to offer the world of cocktails than as a simple mix-in. Last year, we explored tea concentrates to make up a batch of festive holiday drinks; this year, we’ve taken our Lapsang Souchong maple syrup and come up with three cocktail recipes to showcase its bold smoke and rich sweet-savory flavors. Enjoy!

Mr. Fortune’s Old -Fashioned

Mr. Fortune’s Old-Fashioned

2 oz peated scotch
¼ oz Lapsang Souchong infused maple syrup
3-5 dashes black walnut bitters

In a mixing glass, add ingredients over ice and stir to combine. Strain over single large ice cube and garnish with orange peel or a cherry. For an extra flavor kick, smoke-rinse your glass with dry Lapsang Souchong tea leaves just before pouring. If you are wondering who Mr. Fortune is, you should read this blog post.

Typhoon Season

Typhoon Season

1 egg white
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz Lapsang Souchong infused maple syrup
½ lime, juiced
1 oz Lapsang Souchong tea concentrate (steep 1 tbsp. tea in 1 cup water for 15 minutes)
2 oz mezcal

Combine ingredients in shaker and dry shake (no ice) vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Add ice to shaker, shake, and double strain into glass. Garnish with lime or your favorite tropical botanicals.

Mulled Maple Cider

8 oz apple cider
1 oz whiskey
2-3 tbsp Lapsang Souchong infused maple syrup, to taste
¼ tsp lemon juice
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves

Combine all ingredients except whisky in saucepan on the stove; warm over medium heat until mixture is heated through and flavors have settled. Remove from heat, add whiskey, and pour into mug. This recipe is perfect for making in large batches; scale up ingredients as necessary. Can also be served sans whiskey for a tasty and alcohol-free autumn warmer.

By: Jen Coate

Maple Syrup

Lapsang Infused Maple Syrup

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: here at Dominion Tea, we love experimenting with flavors. Back in 2018, we wrote about how to infuse tea into simple syrups, but this time we’ve decided to go a step further: maple syrup infused with the smoky boldness of Chinese Lapsang Souchong tea. Talk about the perfect autumn breakfast! Sweet maple and savory pine smoke together – and the best part is, it’s actually very easy to make at home.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 cup good quality, genuine maple syrup
  • 2-4 tbsp. Lapsang Souchong tea leaves, to taste (for a stronger smoke flavor, add more tea)

Method:

  1. In a small saucepot on the stove, combine tea leaves and syrup and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to steep for 6 to 10 minutes, tasting (carefully, as mixture will be hot) for desired strength.
  3. Once the mixture is steeped to your liking, remove from heat and strain off into a heat-proof container. Store in fridge until ready to use; flavors will continue to deepen and develop over time.

Not only does this infused syrup taste fantastic on pancakes, it can also be used as a glaze for bacon and other savory dishes, as a delicious additive to salad dressings, cocktails, and punches, and as a fun and exciting addition to your favorite fall baked treats. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for new tea-inspired recipes, as we show off some of our favorite ways to make use of this fun ingredient.

By: Jen Coate