Book Club Tea Party

Book Club Tea Party ~ Fun times are bound to ensue at your next book club when you turn it into a tea party. Tea enhanced scones, anglaise, meringues, and a cocktail. Eons ago I worked at the now defunct Borders Books and Cafe. It was one of the best jobs I have ever had. When I started working there, it wasn’t because because I needed money (it didn’t pay well at all). I took the job to simply to have the money I wanted to buy books and the employee discount.

I had a lot of cool experiences while working there. I was the Kids’ Specialist for a couple of years, running the weekly story time for kids. I worked in the cafe and learned how to make all sorts of coffee. I also worked all the special events that I could, particularly loving the midnight release parties. And I ran the monthly book club hosted by the store.

When we were given the news that we were being shut down, it devastated us. I’m happy to say that my friendships with my co-workers remain this day. My book club also survives. I started running the store book club in 2009 and here it is, 2016, and we’re still growing strong. Sadly, due to my own professional circumstances, I am less involved in the administrative side of the book club (with 30 rooster members, there are a few administrative tasks) but I still attend the monthly meetings as I can.

Hosting book club is a lot of fun for me. I am in charge of the menu and often try to pair the food to whatever we have just read. This time that didn’t work out for me so well. We were meeting during the day, and I thought it would be fun to have a book club tea party. I enjoy drinking cups of hot tea and glasses of iced tea as much as the next person, but I love to infuse food with the bold flavors using tea. Lipton’s new black and herbal varieties create an exciting, unique, and multi-sensory experience to jazz up any tea party. 

Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea Cooler Lemon Ginger Meringues Pomegranate Hibiscus Iced Tea Orange Passionfruit Jasmine Green Tea Infused Creme Anglaise

Servings: 8

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

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Ingredients

• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon (about 4 large lemons)
• 3 1/2 cups brewed Lipton Berry Hibiscus tea
• 1 cup brewed Lipton Stirring Ceylon Black tea
• 1 cup white rum
• 1 cup lemon-lime soda
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup ice; plus more for each glass
• Mint Leaves for garnish (optional)
• 6 egg whites
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 bags of Lipton Lemon Ginger Tea
• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon (about 4 large lemons)
• 3 1/2 cups brewed Lipton Berry Hibiscus tea
• 1 cup brewed Lipton Stirring Ceylon Black tea
• 1 cup lemon-lime soda
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup ice; plus more for each glass
• Mint Leaves for garnish (optional)
• 12 egg yolks
• 8 bags of Lipton Orange Passionfruit Jasmine Green Tea
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup sugar
• Green food coloring (optional)
• Segmented Mandarin oranges for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Brew both the hibiscus and black teas separately and allow to cool completely.
2. Once cooled and ready to serve, add the mint leaves and simple syrup to a large pitcher.
3. Add the freshly juiced lemon, mix well.
4. Pour in the cooled teas, rum, and 1 cup ice, stir gently, but thoroughly.
5. When ready to serve, add the lemon lime soda, and pour into ice filled glasses.
6. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
7. Preheat over to 225°.
8. Steep the tea in the egg whites for at least 20 minutes, push them into the non-beaten egg whites as best as possible.
9. Gently squeeze the tea bags, releasing any clinging egg.
10. Beat egg whites in large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer using the wire whisk attachment on medium speed until it begins to froth.
11. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form.
12. Increase speed to medium-high.
13. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks have formed.
14. Drop rounded kitchen teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto 2 large foil-lined baking sheets sprayed with no stick cooking spray or using a piping bag, create decorative mounds.
15. Simultaneously bake both sheets of meringues for 45 minutes.
16. Turn oven off and let the meringues set in the oven for an hour or until they have completely cooled.
17. Brew both the hibiscus and black teas separately and allow to cool completely.
18. Once cooled and ready to serve, add the mint leaves and simple syrup to a large pitcher.
19. Add the freshly juiced lemon, mix well.
20. Pour in the cooled teas and 1 cup ice, stir gently, but thoroughly.
21. When ready to serve, add the lemon lime soda, and pour into ice filled glasses.
22. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
23. Separate the yolk from the whites, reserve the whites for another usage (like the meringues in this post), set the yolks aside in a large bowl.
24. In a saucepan, combine the half-and-half, sugar, and tea bags.
25. Slowly cook over a medium heat until it is about to boil, stirring occasionally.
26. Remove from heat and allow the tea to steep for at least 5 more minutes.
27. Gently squeeze the tea bags with your hands to release all the liquid and stir the mixture to incorporate the concentrated liquid.
28. Whisk the egg yolks until they are smooth.
29. Slowly add the warmed cream mixture, about a half cup at a time to the eggs and whisk constantly. Continue until the entire hot cream mixture has been incorporated.
30. If using the food coloring, slowly incorporate it, whisking it in until it reaches the desired hue.
31. Pour the egg-cream mixture into the saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture is done when it is thick and it reads 180° on a thermometer or it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
32. Make a ice-water bath and set a bowl in the water, then push the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Cool completely, and stir it often. Cover and let chill for at least 2 hours.
33. Portion out into individual bowls.
34. Garnish with oranges if using.

These were so much fun to make..and eat. However, I don’t normally use food coloring in any of my recipes, but was beyond compelled to use it in this dish. Lipton’s green tea colored the cream a pretty shade of  color. I was very excited about this, but once I whisked in the egg yolk, well the color was much less palatable. Green food coloring was needed, and since I was using it, I decided to use enough to make it bright green.

I’ve been drinking Lipton Tea pretty much my entire life. But this party gave me the opportunity to experience Lipton on a whole new level. My Book Club Tea Party was elevated with using these fantastic Lipton Teas. Get your COUPON for $0.75 off any 1 Lipton Black, Green, or Herbal 20ct tea box.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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