Today I found myself, as I have many times before, smelling my Earl Grey tea. Seriously. My face was less than half an inch away from the rim of my cup.“What’s wrong with me?” I asked myself. “Is this normal behavior?”
“Luisa, you are such a weirdo,” I said quietly. But, on second thought, there’s a reason for that odd behavior. You see, for me the aroma of this fragrant tea is as comforting and beautiful as the taste.
No matter what I pair with this tea, it always brings me happiness.
Some days I add honey. Other days I like my tea with a little milk or cream. And a tiny teaspoon of maple sugar makes it perfect.
Today I made this recipe infused with Earl Grey Tea. Enjoy!
Spiced-Earl Grey Tea Cranberries
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 3 Earl Grey tea bags
- 4 cups whole cranberries (fresh or frozen), about 1 bag
Bring 1 cup water, sugar, cardamom seeds, star anise, cinnamon sticks to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add Earl Grey tea bags and continue to simmer for another two to three minutes. Remove from heat and carefully pour mixture through a fine sieve. Pour liquid back into the saucepan, add cranberries and increase heat to medium-high and stir intermittently while bringing to a simmer until cranberries soften and split their skins and sauce thickens, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. You can also cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.
Adapted from Sunset Magazine, November 2006
