A New Way to Enjoy Earl Grey - Earl Grey and Blood Orange Shortbread

Shortbread often comes in pairs. Or at least it does when I am making it.  :)

I have been drinking a lot of tea over the last few days, because I have been fighting a cold, and nothing is quite as satisfying as Earl Grey with lemon.  It really is my ultimate tea.... I will admit to having a soft spot for first flush Darjeeling, but Earl Grey is my all time favorite.  It's bright, rich, bold and exotic.  It stands to reason that lemon is an excellent accompaniment to Earl Grey Tea, especially when your ill, since it already contains oil of Bergamot Orange.  It's the perfect pairing, which is why Earl Grey is traditionally served with slices, not a wedge, of lemon to be added at the drinkers discretion and allowed to languidly float upon the sea of "Grey" within the cup. Sometimes, the lemon slices are even spiked with a clove in the center.  But I will refrain from talking about British tea traditions as that would fill several posts.

My favorite brand has got to be the Tao of Tea's Organic Earl Grey, which is the perfect balance of rich Assam and Bergamot oil.  I like their Smoked Earl Grey too, but it doesn't translate as well into one of my most loved winter drinks, the London Fog.  A London Fog, is a delicious concoction made from Earl Grey steeped in steamed milk, with a hint of vanilla syrup.  True, Earl Grey is not normally served with milk, because the Bergamot oil could potentially curdle the milk, but I find it to be a winter time necessity in dreary winter environs, such as the Pacific Northwest.  (and I have never had one curdle on me)  After all, oil of Bergamot is second only to lavender in it's ability to act as a stimulate and anti-depressant, while simultaneously acting as a sedative and relaxant, giving you an overall sense of well being. 

Now that I have expounded upon the liquid wonder that is Earl Grey, lets move on to something more solid...  Shortbread.

Just like ground coffee, ground tea is an excellent addition to Shortbread.  Earl Grey's ability to play well with other flavors in such goodies as Chocolate Truffles and Pots de Creme makes it the perfect candidate for baking.  It also lends itself well to other additions such as vanilla, almond, and a myriad of citrus zests.  Add the zest of a Blood Orange and you have something even more exotic and out of the ordinary.  Have a taste for Lavender?  Try Lady Grey tea with Meyer Lemon zest instead....  (though it really should be called Countess Grey, which is the accepted feminine form of Earl. I'm just sayin)  Black tea not really your thing?  Try Earl Green (Green tea with Bergamot oil) with Tangelo zest.  They are ALL delicious. 

Earl Grey and Blood Orange Shortbread

2 oz (57g)(1/4 cup) Granulated Sugar
4 oz (113g)(8 TB) Unsalted Butter
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 tsp Earl Grey Tea leaves
zest of 1/2 a Blood Orange (about 3/4 tsp)
6 oz (170g)(1 1/3 cup) AP Flour

Combine Sugar, Butter and Salt in the bowl of your mixer.

Beat until light and fluffy, while you grind the Earl Grey leaves into a powder.

Add the Earl Grey Powder along with the Blood Orange zest, and beat again until everything is combined.

Slowly work in the Flour,

you have a crumbly mixture.....

Turn the dough out onto a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap and work into a log with your hands.

Refrigerate the log for 1-2 hours, or until nice and firm.

Preheat the oven to 325F (162C) degrees.
Slice the log into 1/4 inch (6mm) slices.

Place on an AirBake pan or on a regular pan lined with Parchment. (AirBake pans are excellent for shortbread - I always forget that I have them)

Bake for 13-18 minutes, or until the edges just begin to change color.

Move to a rack and allow to cool completely.

Serve with tea of your choice..... (or coffee)

Me?  I double up and enjoy these with a cup of Earl Grey.  :)

Mangia!!
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"T"ea is for Truffle - Earl Grey Truffles

I promise this will be the last Truffle post for awhile.  It always happens this way.  I make 1 batch, and almost instantly, the theobromine induced madness begins.  Before I awaken from cacao craziness, there are 3-6 different truffles in my refrigerator. They're kind of like Lay's Potato chips....  You can't eat just one.  :)

I went deep into the insanity this time.  Normally I don't work with Milk Chocolate when making truffles. I stick to 60-72 % bittersweet with a good "snap".  Milk chocolate contains milk solids, and since you are adding additional Heavy Cream, it kind of throws off the ratios a bit.  It's much softer to work with and the finished truffles usually have a slightly "chewy" quality to them which I do not particularly care for. (I assume it's from the increase in milk proteins)

That is, until there is Earl Grey tea steeped with the cream.  Then I make allowances.  :) 

60-72% Bittersweet Chocolate is just too strong; the subtle flavor of the tea is completely lost.  Thus, when I make Earl Grey Truffles, I must resign myself to working with Milk Chocolate.  There are some things to keep in mind when working with milk chocolate in ganache. You see, when you work with "milk", the ratio of Chocolate to Cream needs to be altered slightly.  As a general rule, you need 1 1/2 times the amount when working with Milk Chocolate.... If your working with White Chocolate, you need 2 times the amount.  Thus, since I normally use 4 oz of Heavy Cream to 8 oz of Bittersweet Chocolate to make truffles, I need 12 oz of Milk Chocolate or 16 oz of White.

Recently I found a new organic Milk Chocolate that clocks in at 48% cacao solids which beats the Scharffenberger I usually use.  (It's only 41% though to be honest, I think the Scharffenberger, though lower in cacao solids, is higher quality - But I had to try it at least once)

Earl Grey, in and of itself, is a perfect addition to truffles, since it contains oil of Bergamot Orange.  Let's face it, Orange and Chocolate are a classic pairing.  The Black tea is sort of an added bonus.  Granted, Black Tea is not coffee, but it does a good job of "rounding" out the flavor, just the same.

Earl Grey Truffles

12 oz 41-48% Milk Chocolate, chopped
4 oz Heavy Cream
a pinch of Kosher Salt
2 tea bags of Earl Grey
(Notice that there is no Butter in this one, due to the milk solid content of the Milk Chocolate)
Preferably Confectioners' Sugar, but you can use Dutched Cocoa Powder as well

Begin heating the Heavy Cream and a pinch of Kosher Salt in a small saucepan set over medium heat.

When the cream begins to bubble, remove from the heat and add the  tea bags.

Cover and Let steep for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the chocolate fairly finely and place it in a medium bowl.

When the Tea is done steeping, squeeze the bags to extract as much "Tea" flavor as possible (I know, your not suppose to squeeze tea bags, it's bad form, but you aren't going to drink this.  So I think it's OK)
Your cream should be fairly beige looking at this point.

Reheat the cream again, just until the bubbles begin to appear around the edge.
Pour the hot cream over the Chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes.

Begin stirring in the center, with a whisk, until the chocolate and cream form an emulsion.

Since there is more chocolate, it is possible that all the chocolate will not melt as smoothly.  If this happens, pop the bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds, that's all it takes....

Then it should smooth out nicely.

Cover with Plastic wrap on the surface and chill until set.

Scoop into small 2 tsp sized balls.

These really should be rolled in Confectioners' Sugar, instead of Dutched Cocoa powder, but I didn't have enough. (It was on my grocery list)

So I sprinkled them lightly with the little that I had, so they would look different from the Rum Truffles.

Mangia!!
~~

When it's Cloudy and "Grey" - Earl Grey Pots de Creme

There is something comforting, on a dreary day, about having a cup of Earl Grey with a spot of cream.  The bergamot orange just seems to brighten the mood.  But I have discovered something even better.  It involves having cream with a little Earl Grey.  :)

Technically, this works better if you have the actual "pots de creme" that are what give this custard dessert its name.  They are kind of like a demitasse (espresso sized) cup with a lid. But in a pinch, you can use ramekins; which I have have done here, because I only have ONE of these little pots.

The only reason I have this one, is because I happened to see it on eBay, it's shaped like a thistle and I thought it would be a cool sugar bowl, which is exactly what I use it for.

Making the custard for pots de creme is just like making the custard for creme brulee.  The only real difference is the lack of a crunchy melted sugar top and the fact that it is served in a deep dish rather than a shallow one.  The plus side of pots de creme is that lack of a burnt sugar topping allows for more diverse flavorings.  As much as I love burnt sugar, even I must admit that it doesn't necessarily go with everything under the sun.  Hey, and without the sugar topping, pots de creme actually contains fewer calories than creme brulee.  Yet it is still just as smooth, creamy and delicious.  I call that a win win.

I already had my heart set on making this, since the weather was so drippy and cold, but I was out of loose leaf tea.  Instead of running to the store, I tore open some Earl Grey tea bags that I had in the pantry... bad idea.  Tea bags usually contain much finer leaves, so unless you have cheese cloth to filter the custard through (I was out of that as well) then I highly recommend using loose leaf tea. 

So the next time the sky is cloudy and gray, add some sunshine to your day and chase those oppressive blues away with Pots de Creme infused with Earl Grey.

Earl Grey Pots de Creme

1 1/2 cups (355ml) (12 oz) Heavy Cream
1/2 cup (118ml) (4 oz) Half and Half
zest of 1 Cara Cara Orange or a Meyer Lemon
2 TB loose Earl Grey Tea leaves (not tea bags, the tea is too fine)
4 large Egg Yolks
1/2 cup (100g) (3.5 oz) Granulated Sugar
Pinch of Kosher Salt

Combine Heavy Cream, Half and Half, Orange Zest and Tea Leaves in a saucepan.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Remove from the flame, cover and allow the mixture to steep for 30 - 60 minutes.

Bring the mixture back to a simmer over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk Egg Yolks, Sugar and Salt until the yolks are pale.

Pour Earl Grey cream into the yolks in a steady stream, whisking constantly.

Return the raw custard to the sauce pan.

Run the raw custard through the strainer to remove the Orange Zest, Tea leaves and any possible cooked egg bits. (If you used tea from a tea bag, you will need several layers of cheese cloth for straining the tiny bits)

Place ramekins, or actual pots de creme, in a roasting pan that has been lined with a towel.

Fill the ramekins/pots with the raw custard.

Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to bring the water level half way up the sides of the ramekins/pots.

If using pots, place the covers on them, if using ramekins, cover the whole pan with foil.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, the center should still be a little jiggly.

When custards are done, remove them from the hot water and place on a cooling rack.

Once the custards are at room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. (if you are using the pots, simply leave the covers on them and move to the refrigerator)

Serve chilled.

So smooth and rich, it puts American Pudding (usually made with cornstarch or gelatin) to shame.  Hints of bright orange mellowed with the smooth flavor of "Tea with Creme".  Decadent silken lusciousness!  That's all I can say. 

OK, I could say it was "wicked good" (cause it was) but I don't think that does as much justice to it.  LOL

Mangia!!
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