Sweet Chai Tea
It’s a sweet tea party!
Makes 4 to 5 servings
| 4 cups filtered water |
| 3 regular tea bags (English breakfast tea, orange pekoe, Darjeeling, or Earl Grey) |
| 2 cinnamon sticks |
| 6 cardamom seeds |
| 3 whole cloves |
| 6 black peppercorns |
| 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg |
| 1/2 inch thinly sliced fresh ginger |
| 1 cup plain or vanilla soy milk |
| 4 teaspoons honey or maple syrup |
Place water, tea bags, and all spices in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add soy milk. Return to heat and simmer another 5 minutes, or until steaming. Remove from heat.
Pour chai through a large strainer into a teapot. Stir in honey or maple syrup and serve. Or chai may be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day and then served cold over crushed ice.
Perfect Pink Lemonade
Picture-perfect sipping!
Makes 15 servings
| 2 liters flavored sparkling water (strawberry, raspberry, or lemon), chilled |
| 1/2 cup grenadine syrup |
| Juice of 8 to 10 lemons |
| 1/2 cup sugar (or more to taste) |
| Crushed ice (optional) |
| Pink or purple sugar crystals (optional) |
Combine chilled flavored sparkling water, grenadine, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir with a metal whisk to blend ingredients. Add crushed ice if desired.
If desired, moisten rim of small punch cups or fancy juice glasses and dip in pink or purple sugar crystals. Pour lemonade immediately into cups or glasses and serve.
Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate
A warm and frosty sweet delight!
Makes 8 servings
Frozen Peppermint Whipped Topping
| 1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed |
| 10 to 12 hard peppermint candies, crushed |
| 1 to 2 drops red food coloring |
Hot Chocolate
| 4 cups whole or reduced-fat milk |
| Pinch salt |
| 1-1/2 cups milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
Line a cookie sheet with foil or waxed paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the whipped topping with crushed peppermints. Add a drop or two of red food coloring and stir to blend.
Drop 8 teaspoonfuls of whipped topping in the shape of dollops, about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, on the prepared cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Heat milk and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Return to low heat and whisk until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove hot chocolate from heat and add vanilla.
Carefully ladle into teacups or small mugs. Garnish each drink with a dollop of frozen peppermint whipped topping.
Sugar-and-Spice Cider
Sugar and spice and everything nice!
Makes 15 servings
| 1 gallon apple cider |
| 3 cups pomegranate juice |
| 4 cinnamon sticks |
| 10 whole cloves |
| 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1/2 cup dried cranberries |
| 1 orange, thinly sliced |
In a large saucepan, combine apple cider, pomegranate juice, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Heat over low heat until mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add vanilla, dried cranberries, and orange slices.
Place saucepan back over low heat and stir until mixture begins to steam. Remove from heat and ladle into teacups or small glass punch cups.
Pink Princess Smoothie
Fruit for a princess!
Makes 2 smoothies
| 1-1/2 cups orange juice |
| 1 banana, sliced |
| 1 cup frozen strawberries |
| 1 cup frozen raspberries |
| 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract |
| Fresh strawberries or raspberries for garnish |
Combine all ingredients except fruit for garnish in a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
Pour into pretty glasses and garnish with fresh fruit as desired.
Homemade Cherry-Vanilla Cream Soda
Old-fashioned fun!
Makes 24 servings
| 2 cups sugar |
| 1 cup water |
| 1 tablespoon vanilla extract |
| 3 to 5 cups crushed or cubed ice |
| 4 liters sugar-free cherry-flavored sparkling water |
| 1 (4-ounce) bottle maraschino cherries, with juice |
| 1 cup half-and-half |
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until sugar has dissolved and liquid becomes clear.
Remove from heat and add vanilla. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. (The cooked liquid is called simple syrup.) Transfer simple syrup to a container with a lid and put in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.
To make the cream sodas, combine the simple syrup, ice, and sparkling water. Add maraschino cherries with juice. Pour into glasses and top each with a little half-and-half. Serve immediately.
Enchanted Tutti-Frutti Tea
A tutti-frutti treat!
Makes 10 to 12 servings
| 1 lemon, sliced |
| 1 orange, sliced |
| 1 cup raspberries |
| 1 peach, sliced and skin removed |
| 6 bags raspberry or mango tea |
| 6 cups boiling water |
| 2 cups white grape juice |
| 1/2 cup honey |
Freeze all fruits in a single layer on a cookie sheet for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
In a heatproof container, combine tea and boiling water. Steep 5 minutes and then remove tea bags with metal tongs. Discard bags.
Stir in grape juice and honey. Transfer to a container with a lid and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
When ready to serve, pour tea into a punch bowl, stir in frozen fruits, and serve.
