Drinks

If you're looking for a few new Drinks, today's post is for you. Check out the Orange Julius, the London Fog, and the rest of today's yummy drink recipes. Do I have your attention yet? Enjoy!

WHIPPED COFFEE

This recipe is from Vaughn Vreeland in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Vaughn wrote, "This Instagram-famous drink, known as whipped coffee or dalgona coffee, is made by whipping instant coffee with sugar and water, resulting in a butterscotch-hued foam that’s spooned over milk. While it seems like a trend, many have been making whipped coffee for years. In India and Pakistan, whipped coffee has long been a popular home brew, known as phenti hui. In Greece, the frappé is dalgona’s older, frothier sibling. And, more generally, there are versions that are shaken with egg whites and served with condensed milk."

Yield: 1 drink

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021005-whipped-coffee. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons granulated instant coffee (regular or decaffeinated)

1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons hot water

Ice, as needed

Milk, as needed

Preparation

Combine granulated instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a medium bowl.

Whip by hand using a whisk or with a mixer until the mixture turns from foamy to frothy to creamy.

Spoon the fluffy mixture over milk in a glass filled with ice. (You could also spoon it over warm milk for a hot drink.) Gently combine and serve.

LONDON FOG

This is from Yolanda Gutierrez at AllRecipes. For this yummy (and interesting) recipe, Yolanda wrote, "London fog is a creamy, frothy Earl Grey tea latte with a hint of vanilla. Sprinkle lavender over the top, if you like."

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Servings: 1

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/london-fog-recipe-11729062.

Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1 Earl Grey teabag

3/4 cup milk

3/4 tablespoon vanilla syrup, such as Torani®

1 teaspoon lavender (optional)

Directions

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bag; steep for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk in a microwave-safe cup until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla syrup. Froth milk with a frother or immersion blender until milk is foamy.

Pour tea into a cup; carefully pour foamy milk over the top. Sprinkle lavender over foam.

Cook’s Note

I froth milk 1/4 cup at a time, pouring over tea 3 times.

PEACH TEA

This is from Vallery Lomas at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Vallery wrote, "Sweetened with peaches, freshly puréed or from store-bought juice, this beverage tastes extra refreshing in warm weather. The fruit complements strongly brewed tea, and a little lemon juice further accentuates the peach flavor and helps balance the natural sweetness, which you can bolster with sugar if you’d like."

Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: About 6 cups

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022399-peach-tea. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

8 black tea bags, preferably Lipton

2 pounds ripe peaches (6 to 8), peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped, or 2 cups peach juice (see Tip)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed

1 cup ice, plus more for serving

Granulated sugar, if needed

Fresh peach slices, for serving

Preparation

In a tea kettle or medium saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes.

While the tea steeps, purée the peaches, if using fresh fruit. Pulse in a food processor or blender until very smooth. You should have 2 cups.

Gently squeeze the concentrated tea from the bags and discard the bags. If using puréed peaches, pour the tea into the blender, add the lemon juice and purée until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher. If using peach juice, transfer the tea to a pitcher, and stir in the peach juice and lemon juice.

Add the ice to the pitcher, then taste. If it’s too sweet, add more lemon juice, a couple of teaspoons at a time. If it isn’t sweet enough, stir in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dissolved. Refrigerate until the tea is chilled throughout. Serve in a large glass filled with ice and garnished with peach slices.

Tip

Be sure to use peach juice that is 100 percent juice and has no added sugar, such as Ceres brand.

CHAI LATTE

This is from Meghan Splawn in thekitchn. For this yumminess, Meghan wrote, "I fell in love with the idea of chai through the cartons of this drink mix from the grocery store. The milky sweetness partnered with the astringent black tea drew me in, but the warm spices that lingered between sips kept me drinking. It wasn’t long before the sweetness of those chai drink mixes became too much for me and I started experimenting with chai lattes at home.

"This chai latte gives you complete control over your chai latte experience, from the tea and the spices, to the sweetener and type of milk. All you need is to brew, steep, sweeten your tea, and then froth your milk. The result is a creamy cup of black tea subtly spiced and fragrant with cinnamon, black peppercorns, and ginger, and just the right amount of sweetness, so near perfect that you’ll skip the coffee shop chai (or the carton) and come home to make a pot of this at tea time."

Serves 4

To view this online, go to https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-chai-tea-latte-242520. There's also a lot of info for making the chai latte as good as it gets.

Ingredients

2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

10 whole cloves

6 green cardamom pods, cracked

4 cups water

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea, or 6 black tea bags

1/2 cup sweetener, such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup (optional)

3 cups cold whole milk, coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk

Equipment

Wooden spoon or rubber spatula

Pitcher or teapot

Instructions

Toast the spices. Place the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom in a small saucepan over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Brew the tea. Add the water and ginger and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Steep the tea. Remove from the heat and add the loose-leaf tea or tea bags. Cover and steep for 10 minutes.

Sweeten the tea. While the tea is still warm, add the sweetener and stir until combined or dissolved.

Strain the tea. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or teapot. Discard the spices and tea leaves. Store in the refrigerator for future use, or keep it warm while you froth the milk.

Froth the milk. For whole milk, froth the milk by shaking it in a jar or by whisking it vigorously over medium-high heat. For non-dairy milks, use an immersion blender to froth before heating.

Heat the milk. Heat the frothed milk in a small saucepan over low heat until warm.

Serve. Pour 3/4 cup of the warm tea base into each mug. Add 1/2 cup of warmed milk and stir to combine. Top with a heaping spoonful of milk froth.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The tea base can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently reheat before frothing the milk.

HIBISCUS PUNCH

This is from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful (and colorful) drink, David wrote, "This bright beverage, inspired by Caribbean sorrel drink and Mexican agua de Jamaica, is made by steeping hibiscus flowers to extract flavor — and color. It is then lightly sweetened and served chilled, like iced tea. Add cinnamon, ginger and allspice if you wish. It makes a great ruby-colored cocktail mixer as well."

Time: 40 minutes, plus chilling; Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This was featured in "Six Easy Recipes for the Ultimate Picnic Spread", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023213-hibiscus-punch.

Ingredients

2 cups dried hibiscus (see Tip)

1 cinnamon stick (optional)

1 (2-inch) chunk of ginger, peeled and chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon allspice berries (optional)

1/2 cup agave syrup or granulated sugar, or to taste

Ice

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium stainless-steel pot.

Add hibiscus flowers, and cinnamon, ginger and allspice berries, if using. Turn off heat and steep for at least 30 minutes.

Strain mixture into a pitcher or bowl and cool to room temperature. Sweeten to taste. Serve chilled over ice, with lime wedges.

Tip

You can use whole hibiscus flowers or pieces, but if using pieces, steep for less time, tasting as you go, until it is your desired strength. If you wish, you can also dilute the drink with water to taste.

ORANGE JULIUS

This comes from Kelli Foster on TheKitchn. (No, that's not a typo. If you've never checked out TheKitchn, or its sibling site, Apartment Therapy, I highly recommend checking out both. Seriously.)

Anyway, this makes 2 servings. To view the recipe online (along with a little bit about the Orange Julius), go to https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-an-orange-julius-125422.

Ingredients

1 cup milk (whole, 2%, or skim)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitutes, check package for equivalence)

1-1/2 cups ice

Equipment

Blender

Glasses

Directions

Blend the milk and vanilla: Pour the milk and vanilla in a blender and pulse until combined.

Add the frozen concentrate: Add the frozen orange juice concentrate. Blend until fully combined with the milk.

Add the sugar and ice cubes: Blend until cubes are crushed and mixture has thickened. If things end up a little thick, just add a tablespoon of water and mix once again.

Pour and enjoy: Pour the drink into glasses. Serve with a straw and sip your way to blissful happiness.

Recipe Notes

I used 2% milk, though you can also use whole or skim milk with equally delicious results.

If you don't have orange juice concentrate (or aren't into buying it), I'd suggest freezing fresh orange juice into cubes (or in an 8x8-inch pan, then break it into chunks). Without that added iciness, the overall texture of the drink will change dramatically, and adding more ice in the end just doesn't work. (You end up with a more-soupy, less-flavored version of the original.)