It’s true. I’m a preschool dropout.
And while I’m not entirely sure why I dropped out, or rather, why my teacher felt I shouldn’t come back, I like to tell this little story to my friends when they’re concerned their children aren’t making as many animal noises as the other kids. I also like to bring this up when people worry whether or not their kids are socializing enough. “Don’t worry friends, I didn’t socialize with anyone other than my mom until I was four and look how I turned out!”
Maybe this isn’t as reassuring as I once thought. I guess I do spend an awful lot of time alone in my kitchen or behind a screen. But I’ll never stop believing that kids should just be kids. And chances are, if you met me today, you’d probably wish I was a little less social.
Regardless, I like to think I was really winning back then. Instead of waking up early and being forced to read in a circle, I was having tea parties on the regular or meeting up with my mom’s friends at Rudolph’s, our neighborhood coffee joint. It was there that I developed a daily habit of drinking black tea with a splash of milk and a bit of sugar. Because that’s what you do when you’re a preschool dropout, you form addictions.
But in all seriousness, I’ve spent an abnormal amount of time drinking and talking about tea. In college, I worked in a popular tea room in Cincinnati and it was there I learned about Rooibos, Matcha and Japanese Sencha. I’d arrive in the morning, feed the squirrel that sat outside the windowsill and prepare the high tea plates for the day while listening to Claude Debussy and sipping a cup of Earl Grey Creme. I ate a lot of scones that summer, gained about ten pounds and left with a new appreciation for herbal blends and expensive greens.
And while I’ll always appreciate a fancy cup of tea and pride myself on supporting tea ateliers like Nashville’s High Garden Tea and Brooklyn’s Bellocq, I’ve recently found myself craving that same dark cup of Earl Grey with a splash of milk and something sweet.
This Earl Grey Tea Latte starts with a strong pot of tea. It’s slightly sweetened with a teaspoon of Lavender Vanilla Bean Syrup and topped with creamy, frothy milk. It can be made dairy free, refined sugar free and even caffeine free and I swear it’s like a bear hug in a cup. I like to make these at home when I need a little extra something in the afternoon or if I have a friend over and it’s too early for a glass of wine. The Lavender Vanilla Bean Syrup alone would make such a great gift for the holidays!
How to Froth Milk (without a fancy machine)
There are a few ways to achieve frothy foam at home, but just know that certain milks will foam up better than others. For example, hemp milk foams better than coconut milk and coconut milk will foam up a bit, but not last very long. I find that 2% milk foams best. I know nothing about almond milk because I have an almond allergy, but I also wouldn’t want to overpower the flavor of the tea.
With an immersion blender:
- Fill a bowl or liquid measuring cup with 1/2 cup of your preferred milk. Make sure your immersion blender can fit inside the container.
- Using your immersion blender, blend the milk for 30 seconds pulsing the blender up and down to allow oxygen in.
- Once foam has formed, microwave the milk for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the foam to set.
- Pour as much milk as desired into cup and use a spoon to top with foam.
With a mason jar:
- Fill mason jar with 1/2 cup of your preferred milk. Place lid and seal.
- Shake the mason jar vigorously for one minute.
- Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the foam to set.
- Pour as much milk as desired into cup and use a spoon to top with foam.
Earl Grey Latte with Lavender Vanilla Bean Syrup
INGREDIENTS
- Earl Grey Tea, loose tea or bagged tea both work fine
- 1 cup sugar, can be substituted with honey if preferred
- 1 Vanilla Bean, split open with seeds removed and set aside
- 2 Tbsp. lavender buds
- 1/2 cup 2% Milk, or milk of choice
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Lavender Vanilla Bean Syrup
- Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a medium sauce pot and bring to boil over medium high heat, stirring often
- Once boiling, bring to simmer and add the lavender, the vanilla bean seeds and the vanilla bean pod, stir to combine.
- Stirring occasionally, let simmer for 20 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the mixture to rid of the lavender and vanilla bean pod. Pour into a glass container and let cool before storing in the refrigerator.
For Tea Latte:
- Brew a strong cup or pot of Earl Grey Tea. I like to use 1 Tbsp. of loose tea per 12-16 oz of water and steep for about 3-5 minutes.
- Pour the tea and leave a little room for the milk. Add 1 teaspoon of the Lavender Vanilla Bean Syrup to start and stir. Add more to taste.
- Foam your milk using the above instructions. Pour as much milk as desired into cup and use a spoon to top with foam.
Enjoy!