Meet the most surprising “spice” from autumn

I tried to bake with tea for the first time when I noticed that a glass of jasmine tea leaves were sitting around, too fragrant to bubble into the closet. From a mood Orange cake Dough. Only a tiny amount converted the taste of the cake – the citrus fruits were brightened by a gentle flower note, while the tea of ​​the tea added a pleasant grip that gives its sweet output. This little experiment opened me a completely new way to think about tea – not just as a drink, but as a baking spice.

Of course, the use of tea is not new as a spice. Chinese chefs have been smoking with tea leaves for centuries, and the bakers play with Earl Gray -desserts, long before I got out of my spice mill. Even in modern black tea – dessert desserts, the leaves are usually penetrated to give aroma instead of being treated like a dry spice – this felt like an opportunity that was ripe for experiments. Matcha is proof of the concept in sight – a powder tea that is crossed from the tea cup into cookies. TiramisuAnd beyond worldwide. New here is simply a shift in perspective: to treat tea like any other spice in your pantry. As soon as you have ground it well, the tea is concentrated, aromatic and versatile: ready to season cake, turn in pudding or even clear a cocktail glass.

Why tea belongs on the spice shelf

Tea works for the same reasons that appears in the cup: it brings in layered aromas, gentle astringence and a wide range of flavors. Here are the most important properties that make it such a natural spice:

Aroma: Tea is of course fragrant. Jasmine wears floral notes, Earl Gray has Bergamots citrus fummel, Hojicha (roasted green tea) tastes toast and nutty, and classic black tea brings earthiness and depth. The grinding of tea concentrates these flavors so that they spread evenly into dough, battery and pudding.

Tannine: These are the connections that give black tea and red wine their mouth-puckering properties. In desserts, tannins balance the sweetness, add structure and prevent rich flavors from becoming limits.

Versatility: In hundreds of varieties, tea aromas that you already use in desserts (think of robust Hojicha instead of coffee or nutty oolong instead of roasted nuts).

How to use tea in daily recipes

Every tea offers something different and as soon as its aromas are naturally transferred to familiar recipes. Here are a few simple, tasteful possibilities:

• Use it to season it Citrus. Fold about 1/2 teaspoon of powder jasmint tea into the dough. The result is light citrus fruits in a veil made of floral perfume, with the tannins give a gentle backbone so that the cake does not taste excessively sweet.
• Stir it into your favorite baked oatmeal Mix before baking. Stir a teaspoon of English breakfast tea into the oats before baking the baking. Its malt, roasted taste gives the oatmeal a roasted depth.
• Flow into ice. Mix the Earl Gray Pulvered Earl Gray into a classic pudding base. The black tea adds gentle tannins that cut the wealth while Bergamot gives a citrus hub. The speckled stains are reminiscent of vanilla names, but the taste is clearly Earl Gray – elegant, fragrant and only slightly floral.
• Use it to try it Buttercup. Mix Oolong finely ground in a classic shortbread or butter biscuit. The wood aroma gives heat and complexity such as tanned butter or roasted nuts – without overwhelming the simplicity of the biscuit.
• Stir in pudding. Fold the soil Hojicha into a silky stove pudding. The roasted taste of the tea adds coffee or caramel and is perfect with cream and sugar.
• Tea enriched syrup. Let the sugar and water simmer equally, then stir in each variety of finely ground tea until they are dissolved. Strain well and soak with the syrup cake or shake in cocktails. Make sure to grind the tea particularly well – everyone cooks, and the syrup feels roughly instead of smooth.
• Make a Cocktail border. Grind the tea particularly fine – almost into a dust – and then mix with sugar for rim glasses. Try jasminzuckers on one Gin Fizz or Earl Gray salt on one Whiskey Sauer.

Beyond the cup

Cooking with tea feels inventive and intuitive at the same time. Why leave tea of ​​the teapot when it also belongs to the spice shelf – on the season, vertebrae and surprise?