Tea Snacks

Tea Snacks

Little teatime knick-knacks to liven up your evening brew.

Herbal Tea Mango Ice Cream
Ingredients:
4 tsps Pengaree tea
2/3 cup fresh, cold water
4 green mangoes (each mango should be very firm, hard)
2/3 cup sugar (a little extra sugar may be needed)
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons non-fat dry milk
Directions:
In a large saucepan bring water to a rapid boil; remove from heat. Immediately add tea. Steep for 5 to 6 minutes, strain the tea. Peel the mangoes while the tea is steeping. Cut the flesh away from the seeds, dice the fruit. Sprinkle sugar over the fruit. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fruit is soft. Taste, add more sugar if necessary. Remove from heat. Mash fruit with a fork until a coarse puree is obtained; drain off excess liquid. Allow to cool. Whip heavy cream and dry milk in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently stir mango puree into the whipped cream. Spoon into a freezer-safe plastic container and freeze. Makes about 5 cups.

Green Tea Dessert Sauce
Ingredients:
4 tsps Green Tea
1 cup fresh, cold water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, in small pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, well packed
Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring water to a rapid boil; remove from heat. Add tea; let steep for 5 minutes. Strain. Add butter to the tea and heat over low heat until the butter is melted. Stir in sugar and brown sugar, mixing well. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to simmer for two minutes. Serve over ice cream, diced fresh fruit, or pound cake. (1 1/2 cups)

Blueberry Bars
These summer pastries are guaranteed to turn your fingers blue. Serve them slightly chilled and, if using your fingers, with a large napkin.
Crust ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Blend all ingredients and press into an 8 or 9-inch square pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn golden.
Filling ingredients:
a cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups fresh blueberries
Directions:
Combine sour cream, egg, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Beat until smooth. Fold in blueberries. Pour into shell and bake at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes.
Topping ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle over pie and bake 10 additional minutes. Chill before serving.

Tea Jelly
Ingredients:
2 lemons
1 pkt. lemon jelly
3/4 pint (approx.) freshly brewed tea,
Whipped cream to decorate
Directions:
Grate the skin of the lemons finely. Place the jelly in a measure and make up to 1 pint with freshly brewed tea. Stir until dissolved, then cool. When it is slightly thickened stir in the grated lemon peel and pour into a wet 1-pint mould or into individual moulds. Decorate with cream.

Tea Ice Cream
(for making 2 lbs. of tea ice cream)
(a) Dry tea (with good flavour) 2 oz
(b) Refined sugar 1 lb
(c) Arrowroot or cornflour 1 oz
(d) Fresh milk 2 lbs
(e) Water 10 oz
Directions:
1. Heat water and remove quickly from fire when boiling. Rinse out the teapot with hot water and put in tea leaves. Pour boiling water into the teapot. Infuse for 8 to10 minutes. Strain off infusion and keep aside.
2. Boil the milk. Next, blend the sugar with the arrowroot (or cornflour) thoroughly and add to the boiled milk. Let mixture simmer for about10 minutes and stir continuously to avoid lumps. Remove from fire, add tea infusion, stir and freeze.

Cornish Tea-CakesIngredients :
8 oz self-raising flour
4 oz lard or margarine
4 oz currants
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1 oz candied peel
2 ozs sugar
1/2 pt milk
(beaten egg to glaze)
Directions:
Rub the fat in the flour, then add the currants, sugar, peel and mixed spice. Add sufficient milk to make into a soft dough. Roll out to half an inch thickness and cut to shape with a round cutter. Brush with beaten egg to glaze and bake at about 350F for 10 to 15 minutes.
(Serves 4)