It was a beautiful day yesterday. The sun was sending down warm rays, the birds were singing, and all the neighborhood children had converged on my street, as they always do on Saturday afternoons. It was a perfect day for a pot of tea with the room mates.
Normally I don't go for caffeinated teas, but some soft, fragrant jasmine tea was sounding very good to all of us. Jasmine is my favorite caffeinated tea, so that's pretty much all I drink if I don't go herbal.
We were out of rice milk, and I had a nice fat sack of cashews hanging out on the counter. I hadn't ever tried my hand at making nut milk with cashews before. What's a girl to do? Make cashew cream? Yer darn right I did! And I loved it so much, I tripled the batch and have a huge jar of it sitting in my fridge, waiting for lots of new experiments. :D
I am also very much of the opinion that I will never buy prepackaged nut milks ever again. It just tastes so much better to make fresh, whole nut milk. No extra ingredients, preservatives, or anything. It cuts down on packaging and is more cost-effective in the long run. Plus, it's fun and easy to make and it tastes SO much better!!
Oh, and I want to touch briefly on why I'm using lemon zest instead of juice. I'm not really a fan of lemon juice with tea, as I think the tart acidity lessens the subtle nuances of the tea itself. By peeling off the zest and using that instead, you get the fragrant aromatics and essential oil benefits of the lemon without the tartness.
Jasmine Green Tea with Cashew Cream
1 Tb. Jasmine green tea
Zest of half a lemon (you won't need a zester, just a sharp paring knife)
1 cup cashews, raw
1 cup water
sprinkle of vanilla
maple syrup to taste
Preheat the teapot by adding some boiling water, and drain. (This is called "scalding") Fill a tea ball with green tea, and put it in the teapot with the lemon zest. Pour in the hot water and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove the tea ball; leaving the zest in is fine.
While you're waiting for the tea, add cashews, water, and vanilla to a high-powered blender. Let it go until it's not gritty anymore, about 3 minutes. When it's creamy, you're got cashew cream, missus! Pour it into a creamer and serve!
When making up the tea for yourself, you could just add a dollop of cream... or you could make it half-tea-half-cream. ;) Restraint is overrated. Nuts are good for you! Sweeten with maple syrup to taste.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Jasmine Green Tea with Cashew Cream
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7 comments:
I love the idea of the Cashew Cream - I'm going to try this, it sounds great
Thanks! :D
This sounds so interesting Lyra! I love almond milk and have always wanted to make my own, but wasn't sure how to do it - this sounds so easy. I can't wait to see what you do with the rest of it...how long does your homemade stuff keep in the fridge?
Thank you, Jenn! Almond milk is pretty much the same, but they work better if you soak them for a few hours first, and strain it through cheesecloth after it's pureed. The beauty of cashews is that they're so creamy, they pulverize completely with no issues!
I've tried some ice cream, but I really need an ice cream maker to do it properly. Best ice cream I think I've ever tasted, though. ;)
I would guess it'd keep for a week or more, since it's just cashews and water. I'd do a sniff/taste test after about a week though, just to be sure. I only have a tiny bit left after innumerable pots of tea and ice cream adventures. I think I might be starting a very expensive nut obsession! :D
What an interesting tea. Sounds wonderful. I like that you made your own nut milk. I think I might just give this recipe a try! Thanks for this.
Thanks, Lisa! It was so easy to make, and a perfect thing for a weekend afternoon. :)
I have never made nut milks but this is really tempting me!
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