white chocolate + mint tea latte

 

this is not your basic tea latte! this is the most decadent white chocolate + mint tea latte. i am pretty sure the morrocan mint green tea by stash tea was made for this drink. it is a blend of green tea & mint (spearmint + peppermint), with a hint of lemon. i love it in this latte & in the morning instead of coffee. it has such a calming flavour.

with the snow continuously falling outside, i don't think there is anything better then a night in by the fire sipping this latte. modest house is quite chilly due to the age of our home, so there isn't a moment where we don't have a warm drink in hand.

if you want to take this one step further, try adding a shot of whiskey or rum to the mix, hot toddy style. anyways, i am going to keep this one short & sweet because we are off to do our final round of christmas shopping. the tree is becoming overflowed with presents & is finally looking like a proper christmas tree. cheers!

ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 3 stash tea morrocan mint green tea bags
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 8 ounces quality white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • fresh whipped cream, for topping
  • shaved white chocolate, for topping

directions

  • in a sauce pot over high heat bring the water to a boil. add the tea bags & sugar. remove from heat & let steep for 15 minutes.
  • in a second sauce pot over medium heat bring the milk to a gentle simmer. stir in the white chocolate, vanilla, & salt until chocolate is fully melted. remove from heat & froth using an immersion blender.
  • in desired cup fill with 1/3 tea mixture & 2/3 milk mixture. top with a generous dollop of whipped cream & sprinkle with shaved white chocolate.

green tea + eggnog bread pudding

 

i have no idea how we are already a week into december, but i should really get started on my christmas shopping! the advent calendars have begun & we have watched a netflix christmas movie every night since december 1st. this year i have two advent calendars, a tea one & a traditional chocolate one! i am like a little kid every time i get to open the tea one & discover what holiday tea we will be indulging in that night. with the holidays being in full swing, is it really the christmas season without bread pudding? i didn't think so!

bread pudding is so decadent & delicious. it is also one of those desserts you can prepare in advance & bake right before serving! anything that can be made ahead is a must when hosting a holiday meal. this bread pudding is not so traditional. it features eggnog & matcha! the green tea flavour works so well with the sweet custard flavour of eggnog. i used aiya matcha's cooking grade matcha blend, as it doesn't lose flavour when blended with other ingredients. because eggnog is so rich, i stuck to using a simple white bread base. however, if you want to take it to the next level feel free to use day old pastries or croissants! your guests are going to go crazy for this dessert!

ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups half & half
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1/4 cup quality spiced rum
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon aiya's matcha powder (cooking grade blend)
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 8 day old croissants, torn into bite size pieces
  • powdered sugar, for serving
  • white chocolate sauce, for serving
  • whipped cream, for serving

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease a 9 by 12 baking dish.
  • in a large mixing bowl whisk eggs & egg yolks. add the half & half, eggnog, rum, brown sugar, & vanilla extract. whisk until well incorporated.
  • sift in the matcha powder, followed by the nutmeg & salt.
  • toss croissants in the egg mixture until coated. transfer to prepared baking dish.
  • bake for 40-45 minutes, until the center has set & the top is golden brown.
  • let cool to room temperature before serving. when ready to serve dust with powdered sugar, a drizzle of white chocolate sauce & a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

gingerbread bundt cake + eggnog glaze

 

happy december!!!!

when thanksgiving & pumpkin season is officially over, i dive head first into all things gingerbread. honestly i couldn't tell you which flavour i like better! both are so cozy & incorporate the best baking spices. this gingerbread bundt cake includes my two favourite christmas flavours: gingerbread & eggnog. it has a creamy eggnog glaze that looks like a little dusting of snow on the cake, doesn't it? i also snuck a little eggnog into the cake batter too because.. eggnog.

i am declaring this holiday season the season of bundt cakes because i have made quite a few bundt cakes over the last month. they are much easier to make than a layered cake & present just as beautifully! i also love all of nordic ware’s unique bundt pan designs. this cake was made in the “brilliance bundt pan” which is part of nordic ware’s premium gold collection. it’s a bold & radiant bundt shape that launched this year! the heavy cast aluminum ensures the cake evenly bakes & browns, plus it has a premium nonstick surface which makes for an easy release. i know how stressful flipping over a bundt cake can be, trust me. with a little grease & flour, this cake will slip right out! just make sure it has cooled enough before removing as the cake will be a little fragile if still warm.

p.s guess what? i will be giving away the brilliance bundt pan over on instagram this weekend!!! the perfect gift for bakers or yourself this holiday season. you can enter the giveaway by clicking here. good luck!

ingredients

for the gingerbread cake

  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 2 large eggs, whisked
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper

for the eggnog glaze

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons eggnog
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt

directions

for the gingerbread cake

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease & flour bundt pan.
  • in a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, molasses, eggs, vanilla, eggnog & yogurt until well blended.
  • in a separate mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & black pepper.
  • add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients & beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • transfer batter to the prepared bundt pan & bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top bounces back to touch.
  • let cool to room temperature before releasing from pan.

for the eggnog glaze

  • in a mixing bowl whisk together the butter, eggnog, vanilla, powdered sugar & salt until smooth. if mixture seems too thin, add a touch more powdered sugar. if mixture seems too thick, add a touch more eggnog.
  • pour the glaze over the bundt cake & evenly spread using the back of a spoon.