Spruce Tip Milk Tea with Yarrow Pearls
Ingredients
For the tea
- 2 cups fresh milk
- 2 teaspoons Alaska honey
- ¼ cup fresh, frozen, or dried spruce tips
- Pinch of salt
For the pearls
- 2/3 cup water
- 1–2 tablespoons dried yarrow or 1 bag yarrow tea
- 2 grams (about 1 teaspoon) agar powder
- 1/3 cup neutral oil like safflower or grapeseed
- Pinch of butterfly pea flower powder, optional
Instructions
- Make the pearls: Pour your neutral oil into a tall glass and freeze for about 30 minutes to chill. Oil must be cold. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, add yarrow, and let steep for at least 5 minutes. Strain yarrow or remove tea bag. Whisk agar and, if using, butterfly pea powder into water and bring to a low boil; simmer for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes as you get your oil and a pipette. Fill the pipette with the yarrow mixture and with steady pressure, drop small droplets into the cold oil. Continue until you have used all your mixture. Drain the oil with a fine mesh sieve (you can reuse this oil). Rinse the pearls in cold water. Pearls will store for 1–2 days. Make the tea: In a small saucepan, warm the milk, honey, spruce tips, and salt until steaming. Strain spruce tips. Pour most of the milk into 2 heatproof glasses (something clear is nice so you can see the pearls) and drop in the blue yarrow pearls. If you are feeling fancy, reserve a little milk and whisk for a foamy top, or just top off with the rest. Drink by a fire while listening to Northwind Calling.
