Mint Chocolate Iced Tea

I invented something!
And it's amazing!
And it actually tastes like mint chocolate!

Enrique and I visited our dear friends Harry and Rufina who were also hosting George and Julie. These get togethers are few and far between, so being something special I wanted to make something deserving. My pasta was rushed and not as good as it usually is (though Enrique was kind and said it was still okay) and I ran out of time and omitted the olives and Parmesan. But the iced tea was spot on. And with early prep, it wasn't difficult at all.

The taste starts with a chocolate aroma, the initial sweet tea on the tongue, turning minty, and once again, a chocolate finish. Delicious. The recipe below gives 2L - great for a summer BBQ.

Rooibos Teas are becoming more and more common, and I believe chocolate is the most common of all flavours. In Toronto you can find it an the tea shops in First Canadian Place (as my wonderful husband treats me to now and again) and also at Luba's tea shop in St Lawrence Market, who is wonderfully effervescent and helpful. If you ever go to St Jacobs Market in Waterloo, there is a stall (aptly named The St Jacobs Tea Shop) with a variety of teas. I just bought a coconut rooibos from her and can't wait to try it!

The mint leaves can be bought in any grocery store, but if you have mint growing in your yard, that is best because it will make the shortest journey from picked to pot. I made they syrup at my mother's after picking, (thoroughly) washing, and drying the leaves, they went straight into the pot for the maximum flavour and fragrance.

I almost always would recommend vanilla pods, yet I used extract because I get mine from local markets in Mexico and it always lasts me until my parents decide they want to take another vacation there. If you can't get the best quality extract, please do yourself a favour and use the pod!


Mint Chocolate Iced Tea

Chocolate Rooibos Tea Mint Leaves Sugar Cardamom Pods (whole) Vanilla (pod or extract) Water

5 tbsp 1 large bunch 1.5 cups 7 pods 1/2 pod (not seeds) or 1 tbsp 2.5L (approx)

MINT SYRUP

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot, dissolve sugar in approx 1.25L of water.
2. Turn heat up to High and reduce to form a light syrup, to about 2/3 of original volume.
3. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low and add washed and clean mint leaves. Stir to saturate every leaf.
4. Bruise and add cardamom pods.
5. When syrup coats back of spoon and can hold the line drawn across with your finger, turn off heat and cool (be careful with the spoon - it's a cooking sugar and can burn).
6. Strain leaves and pods and set syrup aside to cool.
   

ROOIBOS TEA

1. Boil the rest of the water and in a teapot, brew the chocolate rooibos tea. I use a coffee filter in addition to the mesh strainer since the needle-like leaves have a tendency to get out into the liquid. You want a clear tea for this application.
2. When tea has cooled to warm from hot, add the vanilla.
3. Let tea cool completely while steeping (no tannins = no bitterness!).
4. Remove filter with leaves shortly before chilling.
   

TO SERVE

1. Let both the syrup and the tea cool completely.
2. Chill in the fridge to bring down the temperature.
   
3. Combine both the cooled syrup and the tea to your serving jug.
4. CIN CIN!

TO SPIKE OR NOT TO SPIKE:
If you want to spike it, I would recommend Frangelico and/or Mint Schnapps, but that would ruin all the wonderful nuances of the tea. Yup, I'm actually recommending we go alcohol free on this one!