Debbie Heth smiled and chatted as she poured Earl Grey a la creme from a green teapot in a cozy room decorated with royal photos.
“It feels special somehow to sit down with a pot of tea and all the accompaniments,” said the owner of A Taste of Britain in Wayne. “It’s like you’re worth it.”
So take a moment to savor the warmth of a freshly brewed cup. It’s National Hot Tea Month.
“Tea is for everyone. It’s not just for when you’re sick,” explained Trish Stubbs of Tilly Mint’s Tea Room in Souderton. “If it makes you feel better when you’re sick, imagine how it will make you feel when you’re well.”
Tea is, in fact, “the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water,” according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A.
“It’s not their grandmother’s tea,” noted Karin Mason of Simpson House Tea Room in Chester Springs. “It’s gone a long way. There are more options. It’s not just a Lipton tea bag or a Red Rose tea bag.”
The certified tea professional offers about 100 loose teas ranging from dark chocolate to strawberry green.
“Earl Grey and English Breakfast are always your top sellers. They’re the most popular teas,” she said. “Anything that has a ‘breakfast’ in the name is designed for milk.”
And remember: “Milk goes in after your tea,” she added. “If you put your milk in first, it meant that you were too poor to afford to break your china.”
Mason blends many teas herself and encourages trying it at home “if you like to mix flavors.”
“It’s actually very easy,” agreed Heth, who’s celebrating the shop’s twenty-fifth anniversary with a custom combination of black tea, vanilla, blackcurrant and peppermint. “Peppermint blends well with other teas and lavender blends well with other teas.”
Also experiment with lemongrass or hibiscus flowers.
“Loose tea is not scary. It’s not complicated,” she said. “Loose tea opens a whole new world of delicious teas that you can suit to your own taste.”
One final piece of advice: “No pinkies,” Mason stressed.
“Originally teacups didn’t have any handles. They were like bowls,” she said. “Your pinky goes out to balance.”
Now, “it’s something kids do to have fun, but you’re really not supposed to.”
Earl Grey Tea CookiesIngredients
2 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup raw sugar InstructionsIn a small bowl, whisk flour, tea and salt. Place butter, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until just combined.
Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to parchment paper, shape and roll into logs about 11/2 inches in diameter. Freeze 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll each log in the raw sugar to coat, then cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
Recipe courtesy of A Taste of Britain, slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
Lemon CurdEnjoy this easy microwave version with scones.
Ingredients1 cup sugar3 eggs1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
InstructionsWhisk together sugar and eggs. In a separate bowl, pour lemon juice into melted butter to temper it. Pour lemon-butter mixture into egg-sugar bowl and whisk. Microwave uncovered for 3 minutes. Whisk. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 more minutes. Afterward, poke holes in plastic wrap and let rest to cool down. Refrigerate for up to seven days.
Recipe courtesy of Tilly Mint’s Tea Room
