Description
Make your standard cup of Earl Grey tea more special with some vanilla-cardamom simple syrup and steamed milk.
Ingredients
For the vanilla-cardamom simple syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean cut in half and split lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon green cardamom pods, crushed
For the tea latte
- 1 cup hot water (just barely boiling)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons earl grey loose leaf tea or 2 bags earl grey tea
- 1 tablespoon vanilla-cardamom simple syrup or to taste
- 1/2 cup steamed milk (see Notes)
- Freshly grated cinnamon for garnish, optional
Instructions
For the vanilla-cardamom simple syrup
- Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Stir mixture until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.
For the tea latte
- Brew the tea in the hot water for 5 minutes. If using loose leaf tea, strain the tea into a mug. If using tea bags, remove the tea bags and discard.
- Stir in simple syrup.
- Stir in the steamed milk holding back the frothy top with a spoon. Top tea with the reserved foam.
- Grate some fresh cinnamon on top, if desired.
Notes
- To froth the milk, you can use the steam wand on a cappuccino machine if you have one. I use the whisk attachment on my immersion blender by first warming up the milk in the microwave until it just begins to steam. Then I pour the milk the into a tall 4-cup plastic container (you want something tall so the milk doesn’t splash out) and whisk for 15-20 seconds until the milk is frothy.
