Imagine a snowy white winter afternoon curled up under a blanket watching your favourite TV show or reading a book. Something’s missing, right? The first thought may be a delicious chai, because chai certainly is an ultimate soothing drink. But there’s a drink that can be even more soothing – a gently spiced white tea latte.
Autumn is a perfect time to get ready for the first snowy days with a few delicious recipes up your sleeve.
What is white tea?
White tea is one of 6 types of Camellia sinensis tea – white, yellow, green, oolong, black and dark. It’s considered the gentlest of all types and it’s rarely served with condiments. But not all white teas are gentle. Some may have a delicate flavour and look almost translucent; others may have a stronger mellow flavour and deep colour. Stronger white teas may have similar flavour notes to black teas, although they will never be as strong or full-bodied. Still, you can use them to make delicious lattes too.
Ingredients for making a white tea latte
To make a spiced white tea latte, you will need a strong white tea, semi-skimmed milk or a milk substitute and spices. This latte is easy to make, and you can adjust the ratio of spices, but don’t add too much. Too many spices will overpower the flavour of white tea. Unless you prefer your drinks super sweet, you won’t be needing any sweetener. The natural sweetness from the tea and milk will be enough. You will also need cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon, but less than you would need to make a regular chai.
Which white tea can I use for this recipe?
While most black teas are great for making lattes, for making a good white tea latte, you can only choose from a few types. Your tea should have darker leaves, give a yellow-brown or yellow-orange drink and few or no buds. Tea with broken leaves or tea dust will infuse into a stronger cup. However, tea dust may sometimes have a bitter flavour, so you may want to add some sweetener too. This recipe is made with Chinese Shou Mei white tea, which is a very common tea and often used for white tea blends.
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Can I substitute dairy milk for a milk substitute?
If you want to avoid dairy milk, you can choose a milk substitute with a flavour similar to dairy milk. Almond, cashew or oat milk will all be a great option, rather than strong flavours like hazelnut or soy milk. White tea is light, so you can use semi-skimmed milk.
Which sweetener can I use?
If your tea is not bitter, you won’t be needing any sweetener. For stronger, more bitter teas, you can add a ½ to 1 teaspoon of honey with a neutral flavour, regular sugar or a flavourless sugar substitute, such as xylitol or silver birch sugar. By avoiding sweeteners and using semi-skimmed milk, you will reduce the total amount of calories, and this really will be a guilt-free treat with up to only 50 kcal per serving. Which is approximately 1/2 of an apple.
Can I use other spices?
Absolutely! You can make your own spice blend but add less than you would typically use for making a chai. Add whole ingredients when brewing tea and mix tea powders into milk. Add only a pinch of spices, and not more than 1-2 cloves, cardamom pods or star anise.
How to make a perfect froth?
The perfect latte is all about the right ratios of tea to milk and the perfect froth. The most indispensable kitchen tool for making homemade lattes is a simple electric frother. It will help you save time, and your latte will be ready in a matter of minutes. Use a small but high saucepan and start frothing immediately when you turn on the heat. Milk is ready once all the big bubbles are gone. Make the tea first and start heating the milk once you strain it. It will take only a few minutes to make the perfect frothed milk and use it immediately.
Lightly Spiced White Tea Latte Recipe
Spiced White Tea Latte
Equipment
- Kettle
- electric hand frother
- Teaspoon
- 300 ml glass for serving
- Cupfor brewing and a tea filter or a teapot
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons of white tea leaves use 1-2 teaspoons more if your tea has larger leaves
- 150 ml of water boiled and cooled to 90°C/194°F
- 2 cloves
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 100 ml of semi-skimmed milk
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil and wait for a few minutes until it cools down to 90 degrees Celsius.
- Steep tea leaves and cloves for 5-8 minutes.
- Strain the tea into a serving glass.
- Add 100 ml of semi-skimmed milk and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg into a small, tall saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium-low and start frothing it with an electric frother.
- Slowly add milk and froth.