A Nice Cuppa

The year of the Ox is already inspiring some sumptuous desserts. There is some exotic phoenix ice cream tea action going on here! This triple decker tea infused beauty has tea imbued throughout the dessert in all possible glorious forms.

The crystal sculptured amber and turquoise designed vessel brings to mind a sugar sculpture from the Food Network concocted by a calligraphy sugar wizard. Feng Shui of earthy yet delicate pu’er tea jelly. The first layer is made of a cave aged tea called pu’er, which has a luxurious plummy, smoky cacao mystical tea flavor blended into a jelly. Once with an Imperial Dian Hong, hand made, yummy Yunnan tea, Greg Glancy, founder of Norbu Tea was kind enough to send me (which added just the slight perfect zing of astringency). I also tried it with some rich ripe pu’er tea. (I will tell you more about Pu’er tea later, also from Norbu Tea out of Texas! I did not take this photo! I made this dessert, however, in a lovely elongated martini glass. The glass did not come in Giancarla’s email with this wonderful recipe. Thank you.

The second layer is an aromatic rose ice cream made of Chinese rose scented spirits (wine called mei qui lu jiu) and Mei Qui rose tea. I also made following the succinct royal orders of Giancarla from Milan. It is simply divine and seems to chase all the worries of last year away like a phoenix. The third layer is a subtle, creamy ecru jasmine cream which echoes it subtle perfume beautifully. There is a buttery layer sugared lightly caramel with a little lolliope of nutty lotus seeds.  The feather in the treasure is the exotic cocoa singed, 5 spice dusted fire feather leaf.

Molto Bella! Whomever did you get this recipe from?  Giancarla’s coutour tea sundae, she asks.  She will never tell! Tailor up a coutour Phoenix Tea Empress Sundae, and you will feel as if a Valentine Venus di Milo, whom arose in an Armani Empress makeover! Thank you Giancarla for sending your recipe. Are you sure you are not friends with Giada and an Emperor?

Jasmine Tea Cream

3-1/2 cups of whole milk
1-1/2 heavy cream
3 Tbsp. Yin Hao Jasmine tea
6 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

Combine whole milk and heavy cream in a sauce pan over med. heat. When the mixture reaches around (180f/80c) add the jasmine leaves and remove from the heat.  Cover and steep for 20 minutes, then strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel.

Combine the cornstarch with the water and pour into a sauce pan with the jasmine mixture and dark brown sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat,stirring to the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula. When the liquid begins to thicken, place the pan in ice water to cool completely. Strain the sauce thru a fine mesh sieve and leave at room temperature.

Pu’er Tea Jelly

2 Tbsp. pu’er tea leaves (shu/ripe post fermented leaves)

1-1/2 cup of spring water brought to a furious boil!  (serious, the tea is quite hard and needs boiling h20 to break down the composed structure of its clumped leaves.) *(220F/100C)

2.5 grams Agar Agar or Kanten strips.
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. floral honey
2 Tbsp. of pu’er tea leaves (shu/ripe post fermented leaves)

Put the leaves in a teapot and brew for 3.5 to 4 minutes with freshly boiled spring or filtered water. Do not allow to become bitter or astringent. Sip as it goes. Strain tea infusion thru a sieve lined with a paper towel. Measure about 1-1/4 cups of Pu’er infusion and transfer to a saucepan.

Add agar or kanten strips, cover with a lid and place over low heat to dissolve the strips throroughly. Add the granulated sugar and honey. Remove from heat

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place in ice water to cool, stirring with a wodden spoon to prevent separation. When th emixture thickens slightly (around 95*F/35C Refrigerate till firm.

Mei Qui Rose Tea Ice Cream

5 tbsp. mei qui rose tea (25g or 1/2 oz)
1-1/2 cup freshly boiled spring water
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 whole egg, beaten
2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp mei qui rose spirit (mei gui lu jiu)

Combine the Mei Qui rose tea leaves and the boiling water in a teapot and brew as for normal tea. Strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel.

Combine the egg yolk, whole egg and granulated sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the mixure thickens and turns white.
Pour the mei qui rose tea into a med. saucepan and add the whole milk and heavy cream. Heat over low heat until the liquid reasches about 180*F (80*C)

Place the egg mixture in a bowl over hot water, and graudally add the mei qui milk tea, stirring with a rubber spatula. Cont. to stir until the mixture thickens. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
Place the bowl holding the mixure in ice water to cool completely. Add the mei qui rose spirit, and use an ice cream machine to make into ice cream (if not using an ice cream machine, transfer the mixture to a shallow pan and chill in the freezer, stirring from time to time to make a granita)

Lotus Seeds in Syrup

3 cups dried lotus seeds, skin and bitter jacket removed and soaked overnight
Scant 1 cup of bottled spring water
5 tbsp. of granulated sugar.

Bring plenty of water to boil. Add the lotus seeds and simmer over medium heat until tender but still crunchy like water chestnuts about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse in water.

Place the cooked lotus seeds and scant 1 cup of spring water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the sugar, dissolve and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Caramel Sauce

Try this one by Chocolate Monsieur Levowitz with love

If you can order a jar and find it pleases you, this is a good thing.

Spring roll leaves

2 Spring roll leaves
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. 5 spice powder

Cut each spring roll wrapper into an ornamental shape. ( A decorative fire plumage is you are feeling artsy)

Mix the butter and the sugar well to form a smooth paste. Reserve 1/2 tsp. of the paste and spread the rest over the surface of the wrappers.

Mix the reserved 1/2 tsp. of butter-sugar paste with the cocoa powder and five spice powder. Spread the mixture along just the edges of the wrappers

Bake the wrappers in a 340*F (170*C) oven until crisp. About 5 minutes.

To assemble: Place the pu’er jelly in a serving bowl or cup. Spoon the jasmine tea cream sauce over the jelly, and top with the Mei Qui Rose tea ice cream and lotus seeds in syrup Spoon Caramel sauce over the ice cream and garnish with a spring roll leaf.

*(Yin Hao is white buds/greenish than harsh jasmine tea) Mei Qui* Substitute if needed with a great Chinese Red tea.(fully oxidized Black) Keemun tea 1/2 oz of food grade aromatic dried roses.* Lotus seeds in syrup available in Chinese markets. If you need any help sourcing some of the ingredients, feel free to ask in comments.