Beverage is tea-licious
I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so when I suggest to someone that we “go out for coffee,” what that usually translates to in my head is grabbing a pastry, ordering something sugary that bears little resemblance to actual coffee or getting a nice cup of tea.
Chai is at the top of my must-order beverages list, but there's another one I'll always go for if it's available: a London Fog latte. Sometimes referred to as a London Fog, Earl Grey latte or tea latte, the formula is pretty simple: Earl Grey tea, steamed/ frothed milk and flavourings, usually in the form of a syrup. The syrup may be scented with vanilla, but my favourite iterations include lavender in the mix, for just the right amount of floral aroma. Here are a few things to know about each of the elements of my London Fog latte:
The tea: For the best flavour, loose-leaf is really what you want. And it doesn't require much in the way of extra equipment — a simple strainer you can set over your mug will do. If you use tea bags, go with two instead of one.
The lavender: Be sure you use culinary lavender. Either freshly picked or dried lavender will work here.
The milk: I prefer reduced-fat (2 per cent) milk because it splits the difference between lean skim milk and richer whole milk, but use what you like. Heating the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop briefly, until it's about 150 F (65 C), primes it for frothing and cools down the very hot tea to the point that you can drink it almost right away.
The syrup: We're making a “rich syrup” here, a simple syrup with a slightly higher proportion of sugar than water for a thicker, sweeter mixer for the tea.
The equipment: I steep the tea leaves in my teapot with built-in strainer and froth the milk with a hand-held wand. Be sure to have an extra-large mug ideally with a capacity of more than 2 cups.