Who can pass up a refreshing summer drink? So I offer these recipes for Thai Iced Tea and Pink Ladies for enjoying in the more relaxed months of July and August, when there is more time in the kitchen to play around making them.
This sweet, creamy, orange-colored Thai Iced Tea has become very popular in recent years. And all you need is a box of Thai tea to begin making it at home.
THAI TEA TIMES TWO
The tea is available in individual bags and loose (they resemble coffee grounds). But first, you will have to make a trip to Uwajimaya to purchase it; standard tea will not work.
The two versions here - one using tea bags, and the other using loose tea leaves - differ in strength of tea flavor and sweetness. Often, it is too sweet in restaurants, so my version is less so.
For enjoying throughout the week, you can brew a batch of the tea and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
To serve, just pour the chilled tea into a glass filled with ice and top off with a dash of cream.
THE PINK LADIES
Back in college, the roar of our blender was a common noise on Friday evenings. Our favorite thing to fill this machine was an unsuspecting combination of frozen pink lemonade, vodka, ice and beer - yes, beer.
We referred to our drink as Pink Ladies, but they were also known as something more risqué by some wishful thinkers.
THAI ICED TEA VERSION I
(makes 4 drinks)
This is a paler-colored, less sweet and more refreshing version of traditional Thai iced tea.
6 Thai tea bags (available at Uwajimaya grocery store)
4 cups boiling water
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
4 Tablespoons half-and-half or milk
Pour boiling water over tea bags; steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove tea bags; stir in sugar until dissolved. Allow cooling.
To serve: Fill a glass with ice. Fill with tea, leaving a little room at the top. Pour in 1 Tablespoon half-and-half or milk; stir to blend.
THAI ICED TEA VERSION II
(makes 4 drinks)
The loose tea leaves and the sweetened condensed milk make a stronger brew of tea and a sweeter, more syrupy drink with a deep-orange color.
3/4 cup loose Thai tea leaves
4 cups boiling water
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
Pour boiling water over tea leaves, or put tea leaves in a French press-style coffee maker; steep 3 to 5 minutes.
Strain liquid from leaves; whisk in sweetened condensed milk until evenly blended. Allow cooling.
To serve, fill a glass with ice and fill with tea.
PINK LADIES
(makes 4 to 5 blended drinks)
Altering the amount of frozen pink lemonade changes the sweetness of this drink. Any kind of beer (except dark beer) works well.
4 cups ice
1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate (1/3 of a 12-ounce can)
3/4 cup (6 ounces) beer
1/2 cup (4 ounces) vodka
4 to 5 fresh raspberries
Fill blender with ice. Spoon in frozen pink lemonade, and pour in beer and vodka. Blend until smooth.
Pour into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a fresh raspberry in each glass.
Linda Burner Augustine can be reached at mptimes@ nwlink.com.[[In-content Ad]]
