Best of Food | Hibiscus Sunset Cooler 2013

2013 2013 2013 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">By Jeannette Ordas of <a href="http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/" target="blank">Everybody likes Sandwiches</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7594071888_e5f44ef940_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7594071888_e5f44ef940_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1"><br /><i>With all the warm weather we've been having, I thought a little cool drink post might be in order for our Best of Food series this summer.&nbsp; Jeannette made this delicious iced tea last year on the blog for us, and it's sounding rather refreshing right about now.&nbsp; Check it out below.</i><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1"><span style="background-color: white;">For years, I've been wanting to make hibiscus iced tea, but I've had a hard time finding the dried hibiscus blossoms needed for such a task. If anyone has any leads in Vancouver, leave a comment! So &nbsp;instead, I settled on purchasing an herbal tea blend that I found at my local grocer.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7594071526_75d644398e_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7594071526_75d644398e_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p1"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">My first go-around with this herbal tea was pretty disappointing. My iced tea was weak and tasteless. At first I blamed the tea, but I soon realized it was the me, the maker at fault. Ooops! The next time, I added in way more tea bags than I would if I was making iced tea from black tea bags. Problem solved.</span><span style="background-color: white;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7594071768_703194c9e3_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7594071768_703194c9e3_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7594071238_a24eb2353d_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7594071238_a24eb2353d_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">The resulting iced tea was deep red and gorgeous. It also tasted good and because I was using a "hibiscus wild berry blend", I didn't feel the need to add sugar. It made for a quaffable sipper.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">But instead of leaving well enough alone, I went a step further and added pineapple juice to the mix. Whoa! It tasted exactly like fruit punch – well, a delicious, refreshing not-very-sweet fruit punch. I loved it.</span><span style="background-color: white;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7594071386_6ee7202f0f_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7594071386_6ee7202f0f_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">So I was surprised to see that in my recent library book (the <a href="http://www.cafeflora.com/products.php" target="_blank">Cafe Flora cookbook</a>), a recipe for a drink called Hibiscus Sunset. It was practically the same ingredient list as my drink, except the name was sexier and it involved a clever little trick in pouring the drink. Pour the juice into the glass, then slowly pour the iced tea over a large soup spoon. This creates a layer, an ombre effect, that is quite gorgeous. It looks just like the stunning red sunsets we've been having here in Vancouver!</span></div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">So drink the iced tea without the juice if you want something simple or go for the gusto and run the juice over a spoon to make something impressive to serve your guests.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7594072020_40d8ef100b_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7594072020_40d8ef100b_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1"><b>Hibiscus Sunset Cooler</b></div><div class="p1">If you like a sweet tea, you can add in sugar when the tea is hot and stir to blend. I</div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">6 bags of hibiscus blended tea (I used a hibiscus berry blend, but Red Zinger is also perfect here)</div><div class="p1">4 cups boiling water</div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">ice cubes</div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">pineapple or orange juice or lemonade</div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">Remove tea bag tags and strings (who wants to drink steeped paper?) and add into a glass or ceramic pitcher. Pour boiling water over top and let cool on counter. Move to the fridge to get cold.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">Fill a juice glass with ice and pour in pineapple or orange juice to the halfway point*. Rest a tablespoon or soup soon on the inside rim of the glass and slowly pour the iced tea over the spoon to fill the glass. This creates a layer so the yellow or orange juice is at the bottom while the red tea sits on top. It's pretty and it's delicious. Win!<br /><br />* Note: filling the glass halfway with juice makes the best "sunsets" but I prefer the taste of less juice. Let your tastebuds or your eyeballs be the judge!</div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright 2005 - 2013 Poppytalk. All Rights Reserved<br><a href="poppytalk.blogspot.com">poppytalk.blogspot.ca</a></div><br> 2013 2013 2013 <br><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">By Jeannette Ordas of <a href="http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/" target="blank">Everybody likes Sandwiches</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7594071888_e5f44ef940_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7594071888_e5f44ef940_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1"><br /><i>With all the warm weather we've been having, I thought a little cool drink post might be in order for our Best of Food series this summer.&nbsp; Jeannette made this delicious iced tea last year on the blog for us, and it's sounding rather refreshing right about now.&nbsp; Check it out below.</i><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1"><span style="background-color: white;">For years, I've been wanting to make hibiscus iced tea, but I've had a hard time finding the dried hibiscus blossoms needed for such a task. If anyone has any leads in Vancouver, leave a comment! So &nbsp;instead, I settled on purchasing an herbal tea blend that I found at my local grocer.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7594071526_75d644398e_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7594071526_75d644398e_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p1"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">My first go-around with this herbal tea was pretty disappointing. My iced tea was weak and tasteless. At first I blamed the tea, but I soon realized it was the me, the maker at fault. Ooops! The next time, I added in way more tea bags than I would if I was making iced tea from black tea bags. Problem solved.</span><span style="background-color: white;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7594071768_703194c9e3_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7594071768_703194c9e3_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7594071238_a24eb2353d_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7594071238_a24eb2353d_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">The resulting iced tea was deep red and gorgeous. It also tasted good and because I was using a "hibiscus wild berry blend", I didn't feel the need to add sugar. It made for a quaffable sipper.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">But instead of leaving well enough alone, I went a step further and added pineapple juice to the mix. Whoa! It tasted exactly like fruit punch – well, a delicious, refreshing not-very-sweet fruit punch. I loved it.</span><span style="background-color: white;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7594071386_6ee7202f0f_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7594071386_6ee7202f0f_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="background-color: white;">So I was surprised to see that in my recent library book (the <a href="http://www.cafeflora.com/products.php" target="_blank">Cafe Flora cookbook</a>), a recipe for a drink called Hibiscus Sunset. It was practically the same ingredient list as my drink, except the name was sexier and it involved a clever little trick in pouring the drink. Pour the juice into the glass, then slowly pour the iced tea over a large soup spoon. This creates a layer, an ombre effect, that is quite gorgeous. It looks just like the stunning red sunsets we've been having here in Vancouver!</span></div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">So drink the iced tea without the juice if you want something simple or go for the gusto and run the juice over a spoon to make something impressive to serve your guests.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7594072020_40d8ef100b_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7594072020_40d8ef100b_o.jpg" /></a></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1"><b>Hibiscus Sunset Cooler</b></div><div class="p1">If you like a sweet tea, you can add in sugar when the tea is hot and stir to blend. I</div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">6 bags of hibiscus blended tea (I used a hibiscus berry blend, but Red Zinger is also perfect here)</div><div class="p1">4 cups boiling water</div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">ice cubes</div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">pineapple or orange juice or lemonade</div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">Remove tea bag tags and strings (who wants to drink steeped paper?) and add into a glass or ceramic pitcher. Pour boiling water over top and let cool on counter. Move to the fridge to get cold.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"></div><div class="p1">Fill a juice glass with ice and pour in pineapple or orange juice to the halfway point*. Rest a tablespoon or soup soon on the inside rim of the glass and slowly pour the iced tea over the spoon to fill the glass. This creates a layer so the yellow or orange juice is at the bottom while the red tea sits on top. It's pretty and it's delicious. Win!<br /><br />* Note: filling the glass halfway with juice makes the best "sunsets" but I prefer the taste of less juice. Let your tastebuds or your eyeballs be the judge!</div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright 2005 - 2013 Poppytalk. All Rights Reserved<br><a href="poppytalk.blogspot.com">poppytalk.blogspot.ca</a></div><br>2013 2013 2013 <br> <a href="http://www.matrixar.com/" title="Matrix ">المصفوفة : أجمل الخلفيات والصور</a>