The warm embrace of your tea creates visions of cakes, scones and pastries dancing through your mind. Whether you’re a Queen or simply your average tea lover, I am sure on a few occasions you have indulged in this wonderful marriage of food and drink. Putting tea in your food will help to enunciate the wonderful notes tea provides your palate when accompanied by that same tea to drink. Here’s a recipe for wonderful tea doughnuts:

1 cup milk (substitute as needed)
1 tbsp quality Assam black tea
¼ cup unsalted butter

Place the milk in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes remove and place tea that is in a straining device into the hot milk. Steep the tea for 5 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter in the microwave. Once steeping is complete and the tea removed add melted butter stir together and set aside to cool.

3½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs

Using a stand mixer with a dough hook or in a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Take your cooled milk mixture and beat in your two eggs. Slowly add your milk mixture to your flour mixture on low speed until it forms a sticky dough. Place sticky dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use only enough flour to keep your rolling pin from sticking to the dough. Roll out the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Using a doughnut cutter or a small and large round cookie cutter make your doughnuts and doughnut holes. Place onto a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to chill for about an hour.

1 cup sugar
1 lemon

Pour the sugar into a bowl and use a micro-plane to zest the entire lemon. Place the zest into the sugar and use your fingers to combine. This will be your dusting sugar for the doughnuts.

Once your doughnuts have chilled bring them out to rest at room temperature as you prepare your oil. In a chicken fry pan or large sauté pan with high sides pour in Canola or Corn oil until it is about ¼ to ½ inch in depth. Place burner on medium heat. You can tell when the oil is ready by testing it with a small piece of dough. The dough should start to form bubbles along the edges and within 15 to 20 second float to the top of the oil. Place doughnuts in batches in the oil and cook about 1 ½ minutes per side or until dark golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain briefly. Then place into bowl with dusting sugar and coat.

As you tilt your cup to your lips and sip on that nectar of leaf and then bite into a warm freshly made doughnut that shares some of the flavors already seducing your senses you will then know what heaven is.

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