Tea in pancakes? Whoever heard of that? Well I tried it the other morning and it was just great!! Tea is so versatile, yet we tend to only think of it as a beverage. But tea can be used in so many ways. Brew it as a delicious marinade for chicken, bake it into cookies and yes, use it in pancake batter! So spread some more holiday cheer by using SerendipiTea Holiday Cheer in your pancakes! With cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mint and cardamom, this tea is a ready-made spice blend for creating a perfect breakfast to warm your soul in the morning!

The Company, SerendipiTea, is based on Long Island. They contacted us early in the year wanting to be in our winter box with these holiday teas, so we have been anxiously awaiting the chance to try them. We like this company because besides being nice people, they are committed to working closely with tea gardens, estates and specialists around the world, constantly adding to their knowledge and expertise on all facets of tea and its production. We should never stop learning!

Enjoy these pancakes with a little butter and warm maple syrup along with a cup of SerendipiTea’s Once Upon a Time tea with rooibos, vanilla and chocolate, and dream of good things for the coming year!! Enjoy!

SERENDIPITEA HOLIDAY CHEER IN PANCAKES – serves 2

1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk or milk
1 Tbs. plus 1/4 tsp. SeredipiTea Holiday Cheer Tea
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Butter and syrup to serve

Preheat the oven to 225°F. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and 1 Tbs. tea in a tea ball to gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. When the milk tea mixture is cool, remove the tea ball. Whisk the milk with the egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Add 1/4 teaspoon Holiday Cheer tea leaves. Stir until just combined. Let batter sit for 10 minutes.

Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Brush a thin layer of butter or oil on your pan. Drop the batter into the pan with a large spoon. Cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surface, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Keep the pancakes in the warm oven until you’re finished making all the pancakes. Enjoy warm with butter and syrup.