image credit: gizmodod.co.uk
Please note: This is a guest post from Isabelle Ross
According to Brandon Gaille, tea is the world’s most consumed beverage after water, and it is said that some form of tea can be found in 80% of households. With all the anti inflammatory effects of ginger brews and cancer preventative properties of green tea, it’s no wonder that people make it a point to have some tea in their pantry.
But for some, drinking tea is simply part of their culture and they won’t necessarily consume copious amounts for the health benefits. New research conducted by Gala Bingo indicates that around a third of the UK (31%) drink five or more cups of tea a day, and that around a quarter (22%) of them started drinking the beverage before the age of five. But in other areas of the world, like in China, tea customs are quite different. With the origins dating back over 4,000 years ago, the Chinese have developed distinctions between tea drinking and tea tasting, where drinking is merely for refreshment and tonic effect while tasting ceremonies must comply with the ultimate goal of their culture, which Travel China Guide explains is “the harmonious unity of human beings with nature”.
Whether it’s for health purposes or cultural customs, tea is loved by many, so much that it’s often used as a flavor enhancer in cooking and baking. In celebration of this popular beverage, we’ve decided to compile three vegan recipes with Earl Grey as the star ingredient.
image credit: glutenfreeveganpantry.com
Earl Grey Lemon Cheesecake by Gluten Free Vegan Pantry
They say that cheesecake is one of the hardest cakes to master in terms of avoiding cracks in the cake as well as the savory and sweet components, so imagine how difficult it is without the typical dairy products required to perfect this dessert. The beauty of this recipe is that it not only uses vegan ingredients, as the cake is also gluten free and raw. The filling is composed of raw cashews, coconut cream, agave nectar, melted virgin coconut oil, lemon juice and zest, and Earl Grey tea leaves while the crust is made from almonds and dates.
image credit: itdoesnttastelikechicken.com
Earl Grey Cupcakes by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
One of the most commonly baked desserts (and also a great snack to have alongside a cup of tea) is the cupcake, so it’s not all that surprising that fellow vegans have come up with their own version of tea cupcakes. Although most recipes call for steeping the tea before mixing it in with the batter, the blogger responsible for this recipe discovered that it didn’t fully capture the Early Grey essence, so she makes it a point to finely grind the leaves and then toss it in with the dry ingredients.
Earl Grey and Lemon Macarons by Morsels and Moonshine
image credit: morselsandmoonshine.com
In case you haven’t noticed yet, Earl Grey tea and lemon are an excellent flavor pairing in baking, though is recipe should only be attempted if you are an experienced baker. Macarons are tough cookies to nail, but the result is spectacular. The thing about macarons is that they’re very sweet, but the tea with lemon adds a good balance that will have you reaching for half the batch of cookies.
