sprinklefingers

phew!

while the rest of the country seems to be settling into summer quite nicely, we here in oregon have experienced just one day at almost 80 degrees. and then, of course, the very next day it started raining again. i was making jokes with my husband that we ‘had a really nice summer’ and ‘wasn’t summer so much fun?’
all one day of it.

because the thermometer reached nearly 80, i made ice cream. and iced tea. we really do summer right around here!

the featured ingredient in both the ice cream and the tea? vanilla. tahitian vanilla, to be precise.

the ice cream consisted of the usual suspects - whole milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, vanilla bean - delicious.

the iced tea however was an orange & vanilla delight - it came out tasting something like a creamsicle - so good that i thought you should know about it:

orange & vanilla iced tea
makes 2 quarts

for the tea you need:

• 2 quart pitcher
• 4-cup glass measuring cup
• 8-10 (decaf) orange herbal tea bags
• water

make the tea:

1. place the tea bags in the 4-cup glass measuring cup. pour boiling water over the top - all the way to the top - at let steep 6-8 minutes.
2. fill the 2 quart pitcher half way with cold, cold water.
3. after the tea has steeped, remove the tea bags and add the tea to the cold water in the pitcher.
4. refrigerate.

now make the vanilla syrup:

you need:

• 2 (tahitian) vanilla beans, split open with seeds removed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

make the syrup:

1. bring the vanilla pods, their seeds, sugar & water to a boil in a small saucepan. let boil 3-4 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. allow to cool to room temperature then remove the pods*.
2. place the cooled syrup in a small pitcher that’s able to be refrigerated. the syrup will hold in the ‘fridge for over a month.

it’s tea time:

when you’re ready to serve your tea, pour some tea over ice in a tall glass. stir in about one tablespoon of vanilla syrup per glass. admittedly i like mine sweeter than most, so i add a touch more. but here’s a suggestion: go light at first, taste it, and if you want it sweeter simply add a splash or two more.

my kid likes a bit of half & half added to his tea and syrup. then it’s really like creamsicle tea!

happy summer!

*the pods can be rinsed well, dried well and then added to sugar to make vanilla sugar! don’t just throw them away…and if you’re tempted to do so, mail them to me!