Shortbread Petticoat Tails - Masters by Adagio Teas Giveaway

Classic Shortbread Petticoat Tails pair soooo beautifully with tea that I chose to include the recipe in this post along with my Masters by Adagio Teas review and giveaway. 

With just four always-on-hand ingredients, it is an easy recipe to make, elegant in its simplicity. It follows the traditional formula: 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour (by weight). The measures given, for those who prefer to measure, are just tidier approximations of the weights.

It was such a pleasure to kick off the month of September trying five new single-origin black teas from Masters by Adagio Teas. Such teas, with the focus on quality and terroir, are very popular with those who do Gongfu-style brewing (multiple short infusions), but I'm a dyed-in-the-wool British-style tea drinker and that's how I brewed these teas.

I brewed each of the teas in the lidded infuser mug that is part of this giveaway. I found that 1 tablespoon (3 to 4 grams) of tea leaves worked well in each case.

Though my personal preference in Darjeelings is the later harvests, the Balasun First Flush tea is quite special and so delicate as to be perhaps the perfect introduction to black tea for green tea drinkers. 

The third Masters tea I tried, Tongmu Jim Jun Mei, was my clear favorite until I tried the Jin Kong Que (Golden Peacock). My first whiff of the large, golden leaves and buds, revealed hints of cocoa along with a certain roasted toastiness, for lack of a better descriptor. The beautiful honey-colored brew was very smooth and flavorful.

I hope you'll try both the tea and the shortbread and, if you are in the US or Canada, enter the giveaway below. One very happy tea drinker (or tea gifter!) is going to win a Kawa Mug and Infuser and $75 gift certificate redeemable in the Masters by Adagio Teas online tea shop.

If you win the drawing, what kind of teas will you order? What color mug?

Please Pin it and share it!

Classic Shortbread Petticoat Tails

Whatever flavorings one might add, the predominant flavor of good shortbread must be butter. And I do mean butter; margarine will not do. This barely sweet treat has less than 3/4 teaspoon of sugar per biscuit (that's British English for "cookie").

(Makes 16 plus 1 round)

1 1/8 dip-and-sweep cup (5.625 ounces/159 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Put a round of baking parchment paper in the bottom of a 9-inch/23 cm removable bottom tart tin set on a baking sheet. In smallish bowl, whisk flour vigorously for a minute to "sift" it.

2 In medium mixing bowl, with hand mixer or wooden spoon, cream softened butter. Add sugar and salt. Cream together thoroughly.

3 Add flour to creamed mixture. If using electric hand mixer, mix in flour just until combined. When thoroughly combined (it will be a bit crumbly, so knead it in the bowl with one hand), scrape into parchment-lined removable bottom tart tin, press into an even layer, cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Note: You can use the smooth bottom of a cake tin to make the dough very even, then use your fingers to push the dough into the scallops of the tart tin. 

4 With a 2- to 2.25-inch round cookie cutter, cut a circle in the very center of the dough; then cut into 16 slices. Prick all over with a skewer. Pop the dough back in the fridge for another 15 minutes while you preheat oven to 300F/150C/Gas2.

5 Bake for about 45 minutes until firm and lightly golden (not browned). Recut the slices. Leave in tin and cool completely on wire rack. Store for up to 2 weeks in airtight tin.

Masters by Adagio Teas Giveaway

Adagio Teas will send winner: a Kawa mug and infuser (choice of 4 colors) and a $75 gift certificate redeemable in the Masters by Adagio Teas online tea shop.

This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents (Sorry, international friends!) 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person). Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday September 11.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday September 12. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday September 15, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: Adagio Teas provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Olive Oil Apple Cake - Rishi Tea & Botanicals Giveaway

This Olive Oil Apple Cake pairs soooo beautifully with tea that I chose to include the recipe in this post along with my Rishi Tea & Botanicals review and giveaway. It is an easy cake, but special care must be taken when mixing in the olive oil. Be sure to add it in a slow, steady stream, fully incorporating it as you go. And do use a nice fruity extra virgin olive oil.

As you know, I drink a great deal of tea, so I think it's really important that it be organic. Though I still at times drink black teas that are not, I try to drink mostly organic. Very few places near me carry organic loose leaf black teas, so an online search a few years ago led me to Rishi Tea & Botanicals, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

If you prefer tea bags, you'll be glad to know they added tea bags to their line in 2013. Be sure to visit the Rishi Tea FAQ page to learn all about their tea bag materials. I found it fascinating, and I don't even use tea bags! But if I did, these would make the cut with me.

This little pot (13.5 fluid ounces/400 ml) with its stainless steel strainer lid is perfect for those tea drinkers who like to do multiple infusions of the tea leaves.

The tea I'm drinking today is Rishi Tea & Botanicals Organic Earl Grey Supreme, top grades of Yunnan Dian Hong black tea with real first-press bergamot oil from fruit grown in Calabria, Italy. After experimenting with different amounts, times and temperatures, I concluded that for a standard 12-ounce mug (which actually holds 10 ounces of liquid), or a little pot for two standard teacups, I'd go with:

Tea 2 teaspoons/4 grams, Water 10 fluid ounces/296 ml, Temperature 200F/93C, Time 5 minutes. That made a cup of tea with a good balance between the tea and the bergamot. A greater quantity of tea leaves, higher temperature or longer time resulted in a much stronger bergamot flavor, and that might be your preference. You always need to experiment with a new tea to get it exactly right for you, and then just make it that way every time.

I hope you'll try both the tea and the cake and enter the giveaway below. One very happy tea drinker (or tea gifter!) is going to win a $100 gift certificate redeemable in the Rishi Tea online tea shop. What is your favorite type of tea: loose, bags, black, green, white, matcha, etc? Rishi calls their herbal tisanes "botanical."

If you win the drawing, what kind of teas will you order?

Olive Oil Apple Cake

(Makes one 8.5-inch/10-cup Bundt cake)

2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon non-GMO baking powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces/298 grams) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of one medium orange
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml or 5.625 ounces/160 grams) extra virgin olive oil

1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) apples (Pink Lady or Granny Smith are good), peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice

1 Butter well and flour an 8.5-inch/10-cup Kugelhopf pan (the same one I use for my Babka recipe) or Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

Note: I also like to bake it in this 9x4x4-inch Pullman loaf pan, which also holds 10 cups. It is my very favorite bread and loaf cake pan--I have two!

2 In 1.5-quart bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cardamom, mace or nutmeg, and salt. With electric hand mixer on low speed, whisk the dry ingredients together for 1 minute to "sift."

3 In 2.5-quart bowl, combine sugar, eggs, orange zest and extracts. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4 With mixer running on medium speed, gradually pour the olive oil in a thin stream into the egg mixture, so that it is completely incorporated. This should take 4 to 5 minutes; don't rush it.

5 Remove about 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and fold the remainder into the egg mixture. Toss the apples with the 1/4 cup of flour, then fold them and any loose flour into the batter.

6 Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth the top, then drop the pan a few times from a height of just a few inches to settle the batter. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, until it passes "the toothpick test." Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn cake out of pan and continue cooling on wire rack for 2 hours. Before serving, you might give it a dusting of powdered sugar. And a little whipped cream is never a bad idea!

Tea Making Tips

The mistake many people make with tea is following the old "rule" of one teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot. All black teas are not alike. Higher grades of tea generally have larger leaves, so a teaspoon of them will weigh a lot less than a teaspoon of small leaves. Of course, not everyone weighs their tea. What to do?

When making a new tea, I will weigh out 3 grams of tea leaves (and see what that measures) or you can just measure 2 level teaspoons or a gently rounded 1/2 tablespoon per 8 ounces of boiling water (unless a lower temperature is recommended) and steep for 5 minutes. 

Then I taste it and decide whether I should adjust the amount of tea either up or down or adjust the steeping time up or down by a minute. After a time or two, you will have it fine-tuned for that particular tea and can make it just the way you like it every time (without getting the scales out -- I'm not that obsessive!).

It's also helpful to have an electric tea kettle that heats to a variety of temperatures.

Rishi Tea & Botanicals Giveaway

Rishi Tea will send winner: $100 gift certificate redeemable in the Rishi Tea online tea shop.

This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents, including Alaska, Hawaii, AA, AP, APO, AS, FM, GU, MH, MP, PW, PR, VI (Sorry, international friends!) 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person). Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday May 29.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday May 30. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday June 2, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: Rishi Tea provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean 

Clotted Cream - A Tutorial

Clotted cream, which doesn't sound that appealing to the uninitiated, is the delectable accompaniment to scones that elevates that simple bake to an Occasion. In the US you'll sometimes see it called Devonshire cream just because it sounds better, but it's only Devonshire cream if it is clotted cream made in Devonshire; Cornish cream is clotted cream made in Cornwall. 

Here in the US, imported clotted cream is quite expensive and few tea rooms make their own. So it's usually only seen at the poshest of afternoon teas. Its unique taste and texture take a simple scone to new heights. In Devon, the tradition is to put cream on the scone first, then jam. In Cornwall, it's jam first, then cream.

There's nothing difficult about making clotted cream. Though it does take time, it's time you actually spend going about your business while the cream does its thing. So I don't know why there are so many "mock" versions out there. 

One popular American television personality and celebrity chef would have you strain cream through a coffee filter and call it clotted cream. Sorry, that's not even close. Others would have you add various things to whipped cream. Tasty perhaps, but again, not clotted cream. 

You will find sources telling you that it must be made with raw cream (not true), or with cream that has not been ultra-pasteurized (not true). I’ve made it with organic heavy whipping creams of all descriptions: minimally pasteurized, pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized. This method has worked well with all of them.

The clotted cream on the left was cooked covered with foil, and the cream on the right was cooked uncovered. I much prefer clotted cream cooked covered.

I’ve made it both covered and uncovered. The cream cooked uncovered developed a buttery yellow "crust" and after cooling and stirring had tiny bits of yellow butter throughout the finished cream. The cream that was cooked covered developed a softer top layer and had a smoother texture. So that is how I’ve made it ever since. 

I’ve found that clotted cream freezes beautifully, with no loss of quality, and so always make a double batch and divide it among four 4-ounce jars and pop them into the freezer. Then when I’m going to need it, I move a jar (or two) from freezer to refrigerator a day or two ahead. 

But if you're new to making clotted cream, just do a single batch at a time until you've discovered any quirks your oven might have.

Do let me know if you have any questions or comments about the recipe (or anything). And if you like this post, be sure to Pin it and share it on your social media! 

Clotted Cream

(Makes about 1 cup) 

1 pint (16 fluid ounces, 473 ml) pasteurized organic heavy whipping cream

Note: I like to put it in the oven at 6 a.m. and take it out at 6 p.m., refrigerate it until 6 a.m. the next morning, then scoop it into a container.

1 Preheat oven to 180F/82C. 

2 Pour cream into an 8-inch (20 cm) diameter baking dish (I use a Pyrex). It can be any shape, as long as the cream is about 1/2 to 1 inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) deep. Cover with foil. 

3 Place foil-covered dish of cream in preheated oven and set timer for 12 hours.

Note: Some ovens automatically turn off after a certain number of hours. If yours turns off in something less than 12 hours, be prepared to restart it.

This is what the clotted cream looks like after 12 hours in the oven covered with foil. But it's not ready yet! Let it cool at room temperature, with the foil lifted a bit to vent, then cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for 12 hours undisturbed.

4 Remove from oven, lift foil a bit to vent, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes; cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. 

5 Lift up a "corner" of the chilled clotted cream and pour off the liquid* underneath into a 1-cup glass measure. Scoop up layer of clotted cream into jar or serving dish. Keeps for several days, covered and refrigerated. Use the leftover liquid in your next batch of scones, pancakes or whatever you happen to be making. I like to make Classic Cream Scones with the leftover cream. 

* When you pour off that liquid, you don't have to get every last drop out. Usually the underside of the clotted cream layer is quite wet and might actually drip as you spoon it into a container. The contents of the container can seem quite wet, but it all melds together in the refrigerator.

Note: These cute little 4-ounce freezer-safe canning/storage jars with plastic caps are perfect for clotted cream. One recipe makes two jars. 

Now put the kettle on and Make a Proper Cup of Tea! 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Update 31 May 2021: I've taken up watercolour painting since posting this and just came across a tutorial on YouTube by English watercolour artist Paul Clark and gave it a go. This is one I'll be trying again, though it will never come up to his level!

 

Arbor Teas Giveaway - Organic Tea and Stainless Steel Infuser

I recently had a chance to try Arbor Teas for the first time, and I was impressed. Arbor Teas offers one of the internet's largest selections of loose leaf organic teas and tisanes. Their entire catalogue is certified organic and two-thirds are Fair Trade Certified.

This is a small, family-owned company in Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue!) with Carbonfree® business practices. Their facility is powered by Michigan sunshine (solar panels). I always compost my tea leaves, and even Arbor Teas packaging and labels are backyard compostable.

They offer all varieties of tea (black, green, white, oolong and pu-erh), as well as lots of herbal tisanes. I, of course, tried black teas only. The first one I tried, Nilgiri, I made as cold-brew iced tea. It was fabulous. I wish I had taken a photo of it for you so you could see the color and clarity.

Call me obsessive, but those two qualities, along with flavor, are especially important to me in iced teas. In case you want to try it, I used a 0.25-ounce/7-gram sample in 3 cups of room temperature water in a small pitcher in the refrigerator for 9 hours.

I tried the other teas my favorite way--hot--and enjoyed them all. As you can see from the photos, the tea leaves expand a lot while brewing, so you need a roomy infuser to allow them to unfurl properly.

Arbor Teas Tea and Infuser Giveaway

The winner of the Arbor Teas giveaway will be sent his/her choice of tea (English Breakfast, Earl Grey or Nilgiri) and the stainless steel tea infuser in his/her choice of trim color (black, blue or green). It works in some teapots as well as in mugs.

This giveaway is open to US* residents 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person); tell me which of the three teas you'd like to try and which infuser trim color you prefer. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday October 25.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter! 

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday October 26. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday October 29, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Arbor Teas provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think! 
 

Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwiches

Adagio Teas Review and Giveaway

Adagio Teas has a wide selection of full leaf loose teas and herbal tisanes. But if you prefer teabags, you'll love their pyramid teabags that contain the same quality full leaf tea and that are roomy enough to give the leaves room to unfurl properly. They have herbal tisanes and decaf teas, iced teas and flavored teas, and green, white, matcha, oolong and pu-erh teas, as well as the black teas I prefer.

The Tea

The Adagio Teas I've tried so far are all black teas and all loose teas (except for the Ceylon Sonata Iced Tea Pouches): Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey Bravo, Earl Grey Moonlight, Darjeeling Sungma Summer and Fujian Baroque. I've not yet tried the Ooooh Darjeeling, which is an oolong.

I'll start with the Ceylon Sonata Iced Tea. Of course, you can steep it hot just as you would for hot tea; but I did it the cold-brew way and loved it. I just dropped 2 pouches into a glass pitcher with 2 quarts of water and refrigerated it for 12 hours. The result was the smoothest, most crystal-clear iced tea I've ever had. I will never make iced tea the hot-brew way again!



Even when I added the inadequately strained freshly squeezed lemon juice to make Arnold Palmers, the cold-brewed Ceylon Sonata iced tea remained very clear.

The next tea I tried was the Irish Breakfast, a seamless blend of the bright Ceylon Sonata and malty Assam Melody. Irish breakfast teas are sometimes a bit harsh without a good splash of milk, but I found myself drinking this one straight and loving it. Even when I was distracted (usually by the cat or something I was reading) and oversteeped it, it was good.

A teaspoon or other measure of one tea won't be the same weight for all loose leaf teas. Whenever you try a new tea, experiment with the amount of tea to water and the steeping time (3 to 5 minutes for black teas) to get the perfect brew for you.

Don't forget to Pin it!

When I made this pot of Darjeeling Sungma Summer, I used 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup), which was 9 grams, with 28 ounces boiling water. I was happy to find that the infuser works in my new Old Country Roses teapot and was large enough to allow the 1/8-cup scoop of full leaf tea to unfurl properly. 

The Infuser Cup

As you might have observed, I have no shortage of teapots, from 17 ounces to 3 quarts (It's a bruiser!). But for those tea-for-one moments throughout the day, you can brew a proper cup/mug of tea in this infuser cup, a lovely porcelain cup and lid with stainless steel infuser (photo below). It comes in white and eight other colors.

The extra-fine stainless steel infuser is quite deep and works well in other mugs too and even some teapots. Of course, you can leave out the infuser when you're using teabags. Whether using the infuser or a teabag, the ceramic lid makes the cup act like a teapot and gives you a better brew.

Update 07/26/17: Giveaway is now closed.

Adagio Teas Infuser Cup and Gift Certificate Giveaway

The winner of the giveaway will be sent the infuser cup in your choice of 9 colors and a gift certificate for $50 that will allow you to choose your own teas and other products. 

This giveaway is open to residents of the US, Canada, UK and Europe, 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person); tell me which color infuser cup you'd like and perhaps your favorite kind(s) of tea. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday July 26.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday July 27. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday July 30, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Adagio Teas provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Harney and Sons Fine Teas - Organic Tea Review and Giveaway

Several years ago I was introduced to Harney and Sons Fine Teas by master tea blender John Harney himself, the founder of the company. I was saddened to learn of his death five years later, but his family is carrying on the fine tea tradition.

Wait! Not a tea lover? Don't go away just because you aren't one! Someone you know and love is, and this will make a wonderful gift for that person!

Update 04/27/17: Giveaway is now closed.

Harney and Sons have white, green, matcha, oolong, black and decaffeinated teas as well as herbal infusions. Since I drink mostly organic teas, I was happy to learn that they currently offer ten organic teas and herbal infusions.

The 24-ounce teapot, which happens to have an excellent non-drip spout, makes up to four teacups or two or three mugs of tea. It comes in six colors: ivy (green), red, blue, white, lime and turquoise. Choose your color!

24-Ounce ForLife Curve Teapot with Infuser

John Harney favored a 5-minute steep for most black teas, as do I, so I went with that for all my tastings. And for each I put 25 fluid ounces of water in the electric kettle (because about an ounce evaporates in the boiling) and 6 grams of loose leaf tea in the fine-mesh stainless steel infuser.

In the case of the Earl Grey, 6 grams was 4 1/2 teaspoons (3 scoops with my 1 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon or 3 "rounded" teaspoons). If you're an Earl Grey fan, you probably know you can get more or less pronounced bergamot flavor by playing around with the amount of tea and/or the steeping time, but I was quite pleased with the balance the first time.

(Oh and try my Earl Grey Shortbread!)

The measurement was the same for the Assam, though the leaves are not quite as bulky as the Earl Grey and so make measuring a "level" 1 1/2-teaspoon measure more, well, level. The resulting brew was perfect, strong enough to stand up to the teaspoon of milk I like to add, but not too strong on its own. Mr Delightful, who never adds anything to his tea and who is a real Earl Grey fan, liked this Assam a lot. Don't worry ...

I'm going to stop now and move on to the giveaway! I'm sure I've already lost some of you who like to drink tea but not go on and on about it they way I do!

Update 04/27/17: Giveaway is now closed.

Harney & Sons Tea and Teapot Giveaway 

The winner of the giveaway will be sent: a 4-ounce tin Organic Assam, a 4-ounce tin Organic Breakfast, a 4-ounce tin Organic Darjeeling, a 4-ounce tin Organic Earl Grey, a package of Walkers shortbread and a 24-ounce ForLife Curve Teapot with Infuser in your choice of several colors.

This giveaway is open to US residents* 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person); tell me which color teapot you'd like and perhaps your favorite time of day for a nice cup of tea. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday April 26.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter! 

Winners will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday April 27. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday April 30, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Harney & Sons provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Don't forget to Pin it and share on all your SM!

(And tell your non-virtual friends as well!)

Mighty Leaf Tea Review and Giveaway

Only my earliest followers (charter followers?) might know that Delightful Repast is now 7 years old! In honor of my 7th blogiversary, I'm doing a wonderful giveaway for tea lovers. Wait! Don't go away just because you aren't one! Someone you know and love is, and this will make a wonderful gift for that person.

About the Pastry Heart Jam Tarts in the photo above, I made that batch with a store-bought refrigerated pie crust just so I could tell you whether it will "do" or not. No, it won't. Not even in a pinch. If you don't have time to make the pastry, just make something else. Store-bought pastry might be okay for something, but for these in which pastry is the star, no. Just no.

Pastry Heart Jam Tarts
This batch made with the proper pastry

But back to the tea.

The Tea

Mighty Leaf has a wide selection of whole leaf loose teas and whole leaf tea pouches. They have herbal tisanes and green, white, matcha, oolong and pu'er (pu-erh) teas as well as the black teas that are my beverage of choice. Since I prefer organic tea, I was delighted to find they offer an extensive array of organic teas as well.

The ones I've tried so far are: Organic Breakfast, Organic Earl Grey, Organic Darjeeling Estate and Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong. All whole leaf loose black teas. One of their mottos is "Discover the magic of whole leaf tea." And once you do, you are not going to want to stuff those whole leaves into a tiny little "tea ball" that doesn't give them room to unfurl.

The Infuser Mug

Besides brewing it in a teapot, you can brew a proper cup/mug of tea in their lovely infuser mug. The 15-ounce Curve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid is available in white, with or without the Mighty Leaf logo on one side.

Since you don't fill it to the brim, it actually holds about 12 to 13 ounces. To make that amount of tea, a fairly level 2-teaspoon measure (3 grams) of the Mighty Leaf Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong steeped for 4 minutes was perfect. (I prefer a 5-minute steep for the Breakfast and Earl Grey teas.)

The extra-fine stainless steel infuser is quite deep, so if you prefer to make a smaller amount of tea in the mug you can. Of course, you can leave out the infuser when you're using tea bags. In either case, the ceramic lid makes the mug act like a teapot and gives you a better brew.

Everyone should have a Curve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid. It makes enjoying loose leaf tea just as convenient as using tea bags.

Tea Tips

If you're new to tea, see the basics at How to Make a Proper Cup of Tea. If you have any questions, just ask me in the comment section below. I'm always happy to answer tea questions. And if you are in the US, or have someone in the US you'd like to have it sent to, be sure to enter the giveaway!

When you try a new tea, experiment with the amount of tea to water and the steeping time (3, 4 or 5 minutes). I make a stronger brew when I'm in the mood to add a splash of milk. Which reminds me ...

You may know about the milk first/milk last controversy brewing on at least two continents. Let me tell you why it makes no sense to add milk to your cup first. Until you've tasted the tea you won't know if it's strong enough to stand up to the addition of milk. There's nothing worse than weak tea except weak tea with milk in it!

Update 02/15/17: Giveaway is now closed.

Don't forget to Pin it!

Mighty Leaf Tea and Tea Mug Giveaway 

The winner of the giveaway will be sent: a 4-ounce tin Organic Breakfast, a 4-ounce tin Organic Earl Grey, a 3.5-ounce tin Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong, a 3-ounce bag Organic Darjeeling Estate, a black storage tin and a Mighty Leaf Curve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid.

This giveaway is open to US residents* 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person); and perhaps you can tell me your favorite time of day for a nice cup of tea. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday February 15.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter! 

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday February 16. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday February 19, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Mighty Leaf provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think! 

Jean