I was lucky enough to be sent some loose leaf tea by Canton Tea Co so I adapted the Jasmine Pearls I got sent into this fragrant delight. Now I love lemon loaf as much as the next person, it's one of my favourite cakes but adding this extra depth of flavour brings it into a whole new league of its own! I have to admit I am not a huge lover of green tea. I have tried green tea on its own, with mint, with fruit flavours and beyond and I just don't see what the craze is... honestly, I feel like im drinking hay? If that is even possible? So when I got sent this tea I was optimistic to see if I may have finally found a green tea that I actually like... and ... Hallelujah! I can honestly say that this green tea doesn't taste like hay!! It's so subtle and fragrant and has sweet notes in it which means bonus points for me as im a two sugars kinda gal. Now the tea comes in little pearls (balls) which I think makes the tea not as strong as some green teas I have tried, you have to let it steep for a two - three minutes in 75 degree water to guarantee the best flavours. The first thing that hits you is the aroma of the tea, it smells sweet yet still has a tea note lingering in the back ground. When I took my first sip i was surprised to find that the velvety tea note still lingered in the background which was pleasant as I'm not a fan of strong tea!
When thinking of how I could incorporate the flavours into something cake based I immediately thought of a lemon loaf, I just found it would be the perfect match for this sweetly fragranced tea. To get the flavours into the cake without loosing them I infused the butter with the pearls and left it for half an hour to incorporate all the flavours the tea has to offer. I have to sing this teas praises and not just because I was sent them but because it has restored my faith in healthy teas! I have wanted for a long time now get into drinking teas that offer your body natural goodness so this will be my go to tea of choice when I am feeling healthy or wanting something to boost my immunity. The lemon and jasmine make a really delicate marriage together, you might think the lemon would over power the jasmine but it's just not the case. The jasmine lingers through the cake almost like smelling a rose on a summers day, so fragrant but delicate at the same time.
Canton Tea Co are an Independent British company who source their tea direct from small and family-run farms and believe in building strong relationships with the people who grow the tea, they are also members of the Ethical Tea Partnership. They have an extensive range of tea which you can check out here: Canton Tea Co To see more about the jasmine pearls here's the link: Jasmine Pearls
Ingredients
225g Butter
15g Jasmine pearls
225g Caster sugar
4 Eggs
225g Self raising flour
2 Tbsp Plain flour
Zest of one lemon
5 Tbsp Icing Sugar
Juice of half a lemon
1 Tbsp Jasmine tea (steeped and drained)
The first thing you need to do is infuse the butter with the pearls. To do this melt the butter in a pan and add the pearls into the butter once it has melted. Give them a stir and leave to infuse for 30 minutes and so the butter can cool slightly. Through a sieve pour the butter through so that the sieve catches the pearls, press with the back of a spoon to make sure all the flavour of the tea presses through onto the butter.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, gas mark 4 and line and grease a medium sized loaf tin. This is going to be a wet mixture as the butter is melted so fear not if you think it doesn't look as it should do for a normal sponge mix.
Place the sugar and both the flours into a mixing bowl and mix together. Add the eggs in one at a time and beat together until well incorporated, add in the lemon zest and beat into the mixture. Now add in half of the butter and beat together for a couple of minutes then add the remaining butter and beat again until well combined. The mixture will be runny but slightly thick and will have a darker colour to it. If you feel it needs more flour add a tablespoon of plain flour to the mixture and beat together until it looks slightly more thicker and resembles a cake batter. Pour into the prepared tin and place in the oven for around 40 - 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
When the cake has 5 minutes to go place the icing sugar into a bowl, pour in the tea and lemon juice and whisk together. You want it to be thick enough to glaze the cake so that it leaves a white sheen over it so if the icing looks to thin add a tablespoon of icing sugar until the desired consistency is met. Once the loaf is cooked take it out of the oven and leave it to cool slightly for 15 minutes. Take a pastry or egg brush and glaze the cake with the icing, covering the top allowing it to drip down the sides of the loaf. Leave to cool completely before taking it out of the pan.
There you have it a deliciously fragrant jasmine infused lemon loaf - perfect! I would love to know your ideas for using jasmine tea in a recipe? Coming up next time what I thought about their Darjeeling loose leaf tea and how I make peach ice tea with it!
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