Winter Sipping

Grab your scarf and gloves, it’s time to get all bundled up for winter, and because your insides need to be warmed up too, it’s tea time! The spice in this winter tea will get your blood pumping and warm you from the inside out. A dash of vanilla and whipped cream balance out the spice and provide that hint of sweetness that you expect this time of year.

For each cup you’ll need:

• 1 tbsp. loose black tea or 1 tea bag of your favorite black tea (I like an english breakfast tea for this)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• dash of ground nutmeg
• dash of ground allspice
• 1 drop vanilla extract (optional, but if you skip this you may want to use vanilla flavored milk or add a tsp. of light brown sugar to counter the spice)
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. milk
• Whipped cream
• 1 cinnamon stick for stirring and garnish (optional)
• For an extra-creamy latte, add a splash of half-and-half to each cup just before serving

Heat the water, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a small sauce pot just until it boils. Remove from heat and pour into a mug. Steep your tea in the hot latte for 3 – 5 minutes. Just before serving add a drop of vanilla extract, top with whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Sip while sitting next to a warm fireplace with friends. I hope you’re having a cozy winter so far!

If you made a batch of the mulling spices from November, you can use them to make this tea latte. This modification makes a pot of tea that serves four. Replace the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice with 1 heaping tbsp. of mulling spice and quadruple the remaining recipe. Instead of boiling the milk, water, and spices, allow it to simmer together for 5-7 minutes (depending on the level of spice you want).