Chamomile Tea Cappuccino

Image: Wood cutting board containing a 12 ounce glass cup with Chamomile tea and milk in it, shown with chamomile tea bags, and various flavorings in plastic small cups.

Description: Chamomile is one of my favorite teas, so I came up with this heavenly Chamomile tea Cappuccino recipe that will satisfy your taste buds and warm you well on a cold day.

Yield: Recipe makes 1 cappuccino

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup milk (or non-dairy milk)

• 2 tablespoons Chamomile tea (or 2 chamomile tea bags/sachets)

• 1 tablespoon honey, or preferred sweetener

• 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

• 1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring

• 1 cinnamon stick

• ground cinnamon for garnish

Directions:

Add the water, cloves, and cinnamon stick to a small pot on high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it just barely begins to boil, reduce heat to medium low, then steep on medium low covered for 15 minutes.

While the cinnamon and cloves are steeping, prep your cup/mug with the vanilla flavoring and honey, and set aside.

Remove from heat. Add the chamomile tea to the pot and brew according to the tea directions.

Easily strain out the tea bags, cinnamon stick, and cloves by pouring the tea through a fine mesh strainer directly into your prepared mug, filling it up half way to reserve space for milk and foam. Give it a stir to incorporate the honey and vanilla flavoring.

Now, add the milk to the same pot, and put back on the burner over high heat just until it barely starts to boil to bring up the temperature and help with making foam for the cappuccino.

Use a milk frothing wand to froth the milk at an angle to incorporate some air into the milk mixture and create a bit of foam.  You should hear a slight ripping sound when you’ve got the right angle. As you start hearing the ripping sound, slowly pull the wand up while maintaining the angle of the pot. As you keep going in this manner, you’ll start to create more dense foam typically used for cappuccinos.

Pour the frothed milk into a waiting mug, saving room at the top to add more milk foam as desired. Garnish with ground cinnamon. Enjoy!