Recipes

Frozen Tea Cubes

Got leftover tea? You can easily repurpose it to make some easy, no-waste ice cubes that are the perfect companion for cocktails or simply for chilling your favorite summer beverage. Our favorites that we think you should try are:  Hibiscus (Use for margaritas, mint tea, and mojitos) Butterfly Pea flower (Use for cocktails, sparkling water, and horchata) Black tea (Use with lemonade for an Arnold Palmer)

Kat Lieu's Beautifully Blue Mochi Cake

20 min

"Ever had butter mochi or a mochi cake? If yes, then you’ll love my irresistible and beautifully blue mochi cake! If you haven’t, that’s ok; let’s start with this recipe. I bet you’ll be mochi in love. It’s so easy to make and a great introduction to the world of mochi or rice cakes." "Mochi cakes are chewy, bouncy, and gluten-free. The toothsome mouthfeel is addictive to me! With a few ingredient substitutions, this cake can be made vegan too. Kids will love this cake, and it’ll surely be a showstopper at any dinner party!" About Kat Lieu - the doyenne and Queen of Asian baking, Kat Lieu is the founder of Subtle Asian Baking and modernasianbaking.com. Her debut cookbook is Modern Asian Baking at Home. Currently, Lieu is a full-time author, activist, and recipe developer. Follow Subtle Asian Baking @katlieu

Blueberry Butterfly Pea Flower Muffins

Who doesn't love a mini muffin? Sometimes we need the perfect little bite with our morning cup of coffee or a tasty snack to keep us going. These darling muffins are just the thing. They get their sky blue color from Butterfly Pea Flowers. We opted to make these gluten-free for everyone's enjoyment. Little pops of sweet blueberries complement the muffins' excellent green tea-like flavor. They're really enjoyable and won't weigh you down like a traditional muffin would. Bake a batch and enjoy them throughout the week — they'll keep moist and delicious. We love using Butterfly Pea Flower as an all natural food dye! Check out our Galaxy Pops and Butterfly Horchata recipes for more blue beauties.

Floral Chia Seed Pudding

This go-to summer breakfast has infinite possibilities. We used chia seeds which are full of protein, antioxidants and fiber. Once they soak overnight in liquid, they plump up and have a tapioca-like texture that is both filling and easy to build on other flavors. Here we brewed some Floral Sonnets tea, adding a touch of honey and some Beet Powder, resulting in the beautiful magenta layer for this parfait. For the royal blue-colored pudding, we used Butterfly Pea Flower with almond milk. The next day build your parfait with the layers by adding seasonal berries and yogurt. This parfait cup will taste of chamomile, ginger and cinnamon, which bring warmth to the tangy yogurt. It's both festive and a great way to start any breakfast!

Butterfly Horchata

Aguas frescas vendors line parks in Mexico with their rainbow of brightly colored beverages. Of them all, horchata is my favorite. A creamy rice and almond blended brew with wisps of mild and exotic flavor from true cinnamon. Refreshing and sweet, horchata cuts the heat from popular Mexican street food and makes a perfect pitcher for any backyard BBQ. This season, we've given it a festive color boost with ice cubes made with butterfly pea flowers. Start a day ahead to make the ice and soak the ingredients for the horchata. The next day blend it up and you're good to go! As the ice cubes, melt they'll turn your horchata a sweet lavender color. True cinnamon might be thought of as more powerful or better than cassia cinnamon, which isn't the case. Of the two, cassia actually has stronger and spicier flavors whereas true cinnamon is more mild and less heat-forward. True cinnamon's soft bark makes it quick and easy to grind at home but also makes it more evanescent. Having fresh sticks and only grinding when need makes all the difference!

Oxymels: Tart and Sweet Elixirs

Many people are curious about the health benefits of spices. As a culinary store, we tend to focus more on the abundance of flavors that our spices impart than on their medicinal benefits, but with oxymels these two worlds beautifully blend. Oxymel is the Latin word for acid and honey, and these tart and sweet concoctions have been used for food and medicine for centuries. Here we made two different batches using raw apple cider vinegar and unrefined honey. One batch is more savory and features Aji Mirasol, a mild South American chili that's fruity with hints of apricot. To compliment, we added sliced elephant garlic and oranges. For our second batch we made a sweeter version infused with our chamomile based Floral Sonnets tea, fresh ginger, and Cassia Stick Cinnamon. Oxymels can be used in all kinds of ways. Enjoy them by the spoonful as a digestive aid, incorporated into glazes, vinaigrettes, and marinades; or sipped as a refreshing warm weather beverage with a splash of bubbly water.

Sleepy Floral Sonnets

Enjoy this smooth and creamy bedtime tea to ease you off into Dreamland. It is a simple recipe of only 5 ingredients and it takes just minutes to make. Floral Sonnets has a chamomile base with hints of ginger, cinnamon, damiana and lavender, making for a perfect relaxing elixir to help you catch some Z's. We added Turmeric for the beautiful yellow color, honey for a touch of sweetness and your choice of milk to bring it all together. This cup will feel like a warm hug after a long day.

Floral Sonnets Martini

Enjoy an ice cold sip of summer! This tantalizing martini is made with a splash of our Floral Sonnets tea, which gives it amazing color and taste. This tea blend features chamomile, honeybush, ginger, cinnamon, lavender, and damiana. Together, the flowers and herbs accentuate the botanical flavors in the gin, and the result is to die for.To pair with the gin and tea, we used Lillet rosé in place of the usual dry vermouth. For a finishing touch, we also added a bit of limoncello to add a bit of citrus-y sweetness. This martini is refreshing and tastes as lovely as it sounds.

Emerald Mojito

We've mixed some Mojito magic here using a simple syrup made with our Emerald Mist tea! Peppermint and spearmint are the main flavors in the syrup, along with with licorice, cloves, and ginger. Combined with fresh lime to make it a Mojito, this drink is delicious virgin or classically spiked with rum. Kick back and enjoy it on a hot summer day. Don't feel up for that much mixology? Emerald Mist makes a fantastic iced tea for summer all on it's own.