I know the weather is not exactly suited for iced tea at the moment (all of the rain...), but I do enjoy a nice glass of iced tea whatever the season is. Last week, I made those delicious pears Belle Hélène and had a lot of poaching liquid leftover. I am not one to discard such a flavoursome thing as this (the Madagascan vanilla is way too precious) so I decided to turn it into a pear and vanilla syrup.
I really wanted to make a drink out of it. At first, I thought about just throwing in a bit of soda water and ice cubes with the syrup for a quick refreshing drink but I thought the syrup deserved a bit more attention.
I really wanted to make a drink out of it. At first, I thought about just throwing in a bit of soda water and ice cubes with the syrup for a quick refreshing drink but I thought the syrup deserved a bit more attention.
I am so hopeful that the weather will change for the best (sunshine, lollipops and rainbows) and I want to be prepared regarding refreshing drinks when Summer is here (seriously though, I am getting worried...). Since I drink tons of green tea every day, I thought I would use it in an iced tea for a change. With the addition of mint and my delicious pear and vanilla syrup, it turned out to be a very tasty iced tea. The ratio of syrup to tea makes it not overly sweet and pleasant to drink as a refreshing afternoon tea or accompanying a meal (hopefully al fresco!).
I feel like this drink is going to invade my fridge often whatever the time of year it is.
Plus, on a cheeky note, I can already imagine adding a bit of pear vodka or rum in it for a little evening cocktail.
Do you stick to hot tea or move to iced tea every now and then? I hope you give this little recipe of mine a try, it will definitely refresh your warm Summer days.
I feel like this drink is going to invade my fridge often whatever the time of year it is.
Plus, on a cheeky note, I can already imagine adding a bit of pear vodka or rum in it for a little evening cocktail.
Do you stick to hot tea or move to iced tea every now and then? I hope you give this little recipe of mine a try, it will definitely refresh your warm Summer days.
Pear and Vanilla Syrup Recipe (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan)
Ingredients (makes approximately 80ml)
The poaching liquid from this recipe for poached pears.
Method
Keep the liquid in its saucepan and put over a low to medium heat. Stir every now and then and reduce the liquid until it is approximately 20% of its original volume. Discard the vanilla bean and pour the syrup into a small jug. It will keep for a week covered in the fridge.
Serve cold with water (I would usually use 1 litre for that content), soda water or with iced tea such as the recipe below. It would be a great addition to a cocktail too.
Ingredients (makes approximately 80ml)
The poaching liquid from this recipe for poached pears.
Method
Keep the liquid in its saucepan and put over a low to medium heat. Stir every now and then and reduce the liquid until it is approximately 20% of its original volume. Discard the vanilla bean and pour the syrup into a small jug. It will keep for a week covered in the fridge.
Serve cold with water (I would usually use 1 litre for that content), soda water or with iced tea such as the recipe below. It would be a great addition to a cocktail too.
Pear, Vanilla and Mint Iced Green Tea Recipe (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan)
Ingredients (makes approximately 1 litre iced tea - 6 glasses)
1 litre cold water (filtered preferably)
10 green tea bags (about 20g if you are using loose green tea leaves)
1 handful of mint leaves (plus extra for serving)
80ml pear and vanilla syrup (see recipe above)
Optional: thin slices of pear to serve
1. Combine the cold water, green tea bags and mint leaves in a large jug. Cover and put in the fridge for 12 hours (I prepare this the day before I am planning to serve it).
2. When the cold brew iced tea is ready, discard the teabags and mint leaves. If you decided to use loose green tea leaves, transfer the iced tea to another jug through a fine mesh strainer (or even better: via a coffee filter).
3. Add in the pear and vanilla syrup and stir well. Serve in tall glasses with ice cubes, a few small mint leaves and thin slices of pear (optional).
Bon appétit or bon thé glacé!
Ingredients (makes approximately 1 litre iced tea - 6 glasses)
1 litre cold water (filtered preferably)
10 green tea bags (about 20g if you are using loose green tea leaves)
1 handful of mint leaves (plus extra for serving)
80ml pear and vanilla syrup (see recipe above)
Optional: thin slices of pear to serve
1. Combine the cold water, green tea bags and mint leaves in a large jug. Cover and put in the fridge for 12 hours (I prepare this the day before I am planning to serve it).
2. When the cold brew iced tea is ready, discard the teabags and mint leaves. If you decided to use loose green tea leaves, transfer the iced tea to another jug through a fine mesh strainer (or even better: via a coffee filter).
3. Add in the pear and vanilla syrup and stir well. Serve in tall glasses with ice cubes, a few small mint leaves and thin slices of pear (optional).
Bon appétit or bon thé glacé!
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