Hi guys! Welcome back! Today, I wanted to share a few of the DIY drinks that I’ve been enjoying making at home lately. There’s been nothing quite like something homemade and cozy to give me all the fall vibes this season. To kick things off, let’s start with an easy (and delicious!) tea latte recipe.
Now, you can make this either hot or iced, whichever you’re in the mood for at the time. To make it hot, pick your tea of choice, add hot water, and leave it to steep for about 3-5 minutes. My tea of choice for either a hot or iced latte is a chai or green tea. I have other favorites for just a regular cup of hot tea – Winter Spice by Twinnings of London is amazing – but for a latte, I prefer Chai or Zen by Tazo. I’m in the market for a new tea kettle, so sometimes I’ll just heat the water for a minute and a half to two minutes in the microwave, then add my tea bags to steep. Since I have a Keurig, I’ll usually add 2 of my tea bags with about a tablespoon of honey or little less than a tablespoon of agave to an empty mug, then ‘brew’ 8 ounces of hot water over top. After 3-5 minutes, add about an ounce of mango or pineapple nectar, about 2 ounces of coconut or almond milk, a tiny dash of ground ginger, and splash of vanilla extract. The nectar and ginger are optional, but I promise you, it will give you all the cozy fall vibes.
To make it cold, you can either chill your tea in the freezer for about 15 minutes after steeping, or you could make a tea concentrate in advance, then store in the fridge until you’re ready to make your latte. To make your tea concentrate, start the old school way by boiling a pot of hot water on the stove. Bring about 4 and half cups of water to a boil, then add 10 tea bags and reduce the heat to a simmer and slowly add your sweetener. No matter what sweetener I’m using – honey, cane sugar, or agave – I use about a tablespoon for every 2 tea bags. Allow your tea bags and sweetener to simmer for about 15-20 minutes then turn off the heat and leave it to cool. Once cool, transfer to a mason jar or other container with a lid and store in the fridge until you’re ready to make your latte. Or if you want, you have a sweetened ice tea all ready to go! Don’t forget the ice!
Now, I’ve also tried this in more of a cold brew style. Using about a cup of water for every 2 tea bags, add your water, tea bags, and sweetener to a mason jar. Store it sealed in the fridge for 15-24 hours before removing your tea bags. Then, enjoy your sweetened iced tea or make your latte! I should also note that I always use purified water when making my drinks. I’ve found that it gives a much more fresh tasting and flavorful result than using unfiltered tap water.
Here a quick video to show the process coming together with tea concentrate made in advance.
I hope you give it a try!
Happy Fall!
Jan's Life 