A hot cup of tea makes for a great start to the day. Pair up that steaming cuppa with your favourite tea time biscuit and that’s a match made in heaven believes Bombay-based Rupali Ambegaonkar, CEO of Tea Culture of The World. “Now imagine combining the two? That would be perfection,” she says. Known for curating a large variety of exotic tea blends from across the world for her six-year-old brand, it was during a mix and match experiment that the 40-year-old created her first batch of the Star Anise lychee biscuit-tea. “I absolutely love Italian cookies and Biscotti is my favourite. It was just one evening that I tried adding lychee tea to my biscotti mix, threw in a bit of star anise for added punch, and decided to give the recipe a go. It turned out delicious and I have used it since.” When not travelling for work and adding new products to her online store, this tea sommelier enjoys working out and sipping on a cup of her favourite Chinese oolong tea.
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Here is Rupali’s formula for her hybrid lychee tea infused Biscotti.
Cook time: 35 mins| Serves: 8
Ingredients :
2 tbsp unsalted butter, (chilled) | 265 grams granulated sugar | 4 eggs, divided | 4 ½ tsp anise extract | 385 grams sifted all-purpose flour | 2 tsp baking powder | pinch fine sea salt | 4 ½ tsp finely ground loose leaf lychee tea leaves | 1 tbsp water
Method
■ Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or gas 4).
■ Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with
■ vegetable cooking spray.
■ Cream butter in a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed to until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat.
■ Add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then add the anise extract and beat until smooth.
■ Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground tea in a medium bowl. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the egg mixture on low speed until fully mixed. The dough will be stiff.
■ Divide the dough in two and shape each half into a log on each of the prepared pans.
■ In a small bowl, lightly whisk the remaining egg with the water until smooth and combined.
■ Brush the loaves with the egg wash.
■ Bake until the loaves are puffed slightly and firm, and a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, for about 35 minutes.
■ Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes, then transfer the loaves to a cutting board.
■ Cut into ½ inch slices on an angle, and place the slices back on the baking sheets.
■ Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the slices are dry and beginning to gain a golden colour. (They will still be slightly soft, but will crisp up as they cool.)
Tip
When placing cut slice back into the oven, ensure that both cut sides are exposed and none of the biscotti touches each other