Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings

Seller's Description: "This delectable holiday blend starts with naturally decaffeinated green tea and adds unmistakable seasonal flavors like cool peppermint, creamy vanilla and a dash of cinnamon."
Ingredients: Peppermint, decaffeinated green tea, orange peel, natural vanilla and mint flavors with other natural flavors, cinnamon, milk thistle, blackberry leaves, roasted carob, roasted chicory and vanilla bean.
Website: Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 32oz porcelain teapot
Measured dry: 4 sachets
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 2 tablespoons of raw sugar

I've been playing with a lot of somewhat finicky, caffeine-laden teas lately, so this lovely cup was a wonderful change. After a long day in the classroom, I made up a full pot. It's steaming, sweet simplicity lasted me through a couple seams, some writing, and then a bit of weaving. Add some cozy clothes and a quartet of twinkling candles in recycled glass and it was just a delightfully relaxing evening.

Now even though this is a decaffeinated green tea, it tastes like a peppermint herbal. I actually can't taste the green tea at all; There aren't any vegetal notes and it leaves my mouth feeling like I've just finished an after-dinner mint. It's a creamy, minty flavor that definitely lingers.

I think I'm going to need to do this again!

Prominent Notes: Peppermint

Aftertaste: Creamy mint
Overall: A straightforward cup for a lazy evening

Sugar Plum Spice by Celestial Seasonings

Seller's Description: "This celebratory blend combines juicy purple plums and aromatic spices like ginger and cardamom with tart hibiscus, floral chamomile and just a hint of sweetness. Every sip is a journey to the Land of the Sweets in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, where the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy presides over a flavorful assortment of sensory delights."
Ingredients: Hibiscus, roasted chicory, chamomile, rosehips, roasted carob, natural plum and cinnamon flavors with other natural flavors, ginger and cardamon.
Website: Sugar Plum Spice by Celestial Seasonings

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 8oz glass cup
Measured dry: 1 sachet
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 5 minutes
Additives: 1 teaspoon of raw sugar

Ah, Sugar Plum Spice. We meet again.

This tea's tart and spicy blend has joined us for many a holiday season, and I believe it served as my first taste of hibiscus tea. Since this is a seasonal tea, and only available for part of the year, it's been a little while since I've had this blend.

When I opened the package this evening, I was slightly surprised at the scent: cinnamon and cardamon with a hint of ginger. I was expecting something more explicitly plum, but the aroma was more spicy than fruity.

While the scent may be different than I remembered, the visual appeal was spot-on. The color is a gorgeous pomegranate, and it's still fun to watch the ropes of color that spill from the teabag. With the color comes the flavor, and the fruity notes finally make their appearance.

It's not an outright plum - the hibiscus and the rosehips are just too strong for that. It does achieve a tart berry note, though. And the spices? There's no missing them! They're nicely balanced with the more fruity elements to make a cup fit for the season.

Prominent Notes: Cinnamon, cardamon, berry, and hibiscus 

Aftertaste: Cinnamon and hibiscus
Overall: A sweet yet tart tea

Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride by Celestial Seasonings

Seller's Description: "That festive sugar cookie aroma and taste — yours in just 4 to 6 minutes!"
Ingredients: Milk thistle, roasted barley, orange peel, natural sugar cookie flavor with other natural flavors and vanilla bean.
Website: Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride by Celestial Seasonings

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass tea infuser
Measured dry: 2 sachets
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

They nailed it. They totally nailed it. This smells and tastes exactly like sugar cookies made with a slightly more generous dash of vanilla.

When I first opened the package, I was more than a little shocked at how my kitchen suddenly smelled like I'd been baking cookies all day.

With how amazing this smelled on its own, I was sure it wouldn't translate the same into the cup. I was so wrong. Once the tea was steeped, the flavor was nearly identical to the original aroma.

The same rich, buttery baked flour, slightly caramelized sugar, and vanilla was packed into each sip. On the box, their Blendmaster's Notes proclaim this tea is "...a guilt-free way to partake in the real pleasures of the season..." and I have to agree. What a fabulous way to enjoy the holidays!

Prominent Notes: Buttery flour, sugar, and vanilla.

Aftertaste: The caramelized top of a creme brûlée.
Overall: The sugar cookie experience without the calories!

Gingerbread Spice by Celestial Seasonings

Seller's Description: "Step into a cozy kitchen warmed by the spicy aroma of freshly made gingerbread — with no baking required!"
Ingredients: Cinnamon, roasted chicory, ginger, natural flavors (soy lecithin), roasted carob and Luo Han Guo.
Website: Gingerbread Spice by Celestial Seasonings

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass tea infuser
Measured dry: 2 sachets
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

As soon as I opened the box, I was hit with a wave of ginger. There's no missing its spicy bite in this tea, and as I tend to be a bit of a ginger fiend that was no problem for me!

It's not until you steep it up that the other notes come out to play, but not in the way I was expecting. This strikes me more as a ginger tea than a gingerbread tea... or at least not your usual holiday gingerbread... something a lot older.

When I visited Hampton Court Palace back in 2003, I picked up a recipe book from the Tudor kitchens and have since tried out some of the dishes. This tea reminds me more of the flavor of their Gyngerbrede honeyed treats than a more modern cookie. It's where the "bread" part of gingerbread cookies got their name. Those treats were made with honey, white breadcrumbs, cinnamon, ginger (of course!), and ground black pepper.

Sipping this tea, I had to check the ingredients again to make sure this one didn't have the black pepper in it. It has that kind of a robust yet gentle bite. Part of that may be due to the roasted ingredients, but I think I may have to make up a fresh batch of Gyngerbrede in order to compare!

All in all, this was a very interesting cup and it has sparked my curiosity. 

Prominent Notes: Ginger!

Aftertaste: A slight honeyed effect with hints of pepper
Overall: Curiouser and curiouser

Sweet Harvest Pumpkin by Celestial Seasonings

I tried two pumpkin teas this morning, and while the first one was a horrible mistake, this tea was the morning's saving grace. Fresh, sweet, and with just the right amount of kick!

Seller's Description: "Our newest holiday creation combines smooth black tea with real pumpkin flavor and a hint of natural sweetness."
Ingredients: Black tea, cinnamon, ginger, roasted chicory, natural pumpkin flavor with other natural flavors, Luo Han Guo, cloves, nutmeg, natural sweetener (Stevia extract) and pumpkin.
Website: Sweet Harvest Pumpkin by Celestial Seasonings

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass tea infuser
Measured dry: 2 sachets
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

As I open the tea's wax paper bag, the scents of ginger, cloves, and what might be the roasted chicory hit me first. Following on their heels are the slightly more understated aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg.

What I've found with the Celestial Seasonings teas is that they are happiest when you stick as close as possible to the ratio of one teabag per eight ounces of water, so I used two bags in my 16oz infuser mug instead of just one.

It was totally the right call, because the scent profile takes an about face as soon as it's steeped. The pumpkin takes center stage, buoyed by the rich blend of spices. This is like drinking pumpkin spice bread, where the cook hit just the right spice balance: enough to leave a tingle on your tongue, but not so much as to let any one spice overwhelm.

I find myself craving some cream cheese to spread over it, the flavor is so similar!

In lieu of that (because this isn't a fresh, warm slice as much as it tastes like it!) I decided to add a dash of milk. If anything, it made the experience stronger! So I may have a little baking to do. In the meantime, this was a wonderful drink to spend the morning with.

Prominent Notes: Pumpkin, cinnamon, and clove

Aftertaste: Nutmeg and clove
Overall: Tasty!


But I don't feel like I'm done with this tea yet...

Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Pancake Butter

As will sometimes happen when I'm enjoying a cup of tea while cooking, I got a little inspired to experiment. I will usually use straight spices (like cloves, anise, or cardamon) to infuse butter for pancakes, but I thought this tea might lend itself well to the process.

Because I will do this from time to time, I picked up a tiny butter warming pot at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It was something like $15 and has lasted us a couple years now... mostly because our waistlines wouldn't appreciate it if we used it more often!

Place your butter in the pan and turn the unit on medium. After making the pancakes and leaving them in the oven to keep warm, I had about 3/4 stick of butter left. In the future, I think 2 bags per stick would be better.

Get a nice, solid layer of melted butter before you put the teabag into the mix. Bring the butter to a gentle simmer and then reduce the heat. Simmer for something like 3-5 minutes so the flavors of the tea can work their magic.

Transfer the infused butter to a bowl or serving dish that's up to the heat - I prefer Pyrex. As the butter drains from the pan to the dish, make sure to press the teabag well, to get more flavor out.






Serve and enjoy!

But be careful of kitties with feral instincts. We were going to put the left-overs in the fridge, but Mei-Mei decided it was just too tempting. By the time I realized she'd snuck away, she already had her face inside it!

All in all, this was a very scrumptious breakfast! The tea flavor was a little light, but still added a nice spicy kick to our pancakes. Should I do this again in the future, I think I may add some cloves or cinnamon pieces for a little extra kick. Overall, though... tasty!

Nutcracker Sweet by Celestial Seasonings

Our Thanksgiving meal has been all packed up, and the kitchen is now clean. Time to light some candles, sit back, and enjoy the moment. I decided to make up a cup of this tea next because it's so difficult to pigeonhole, and my curiosity has been tweaked.

Ingredients: Black tea, natural vanilla extract with other natural flavors and cinnamon.
Website: Nutcracker Sweet by Celestial Seasonings

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 8oz cup and saucer
Measured dry: 1 sachet
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

Now, I do focus on loose leaf teas, but when I want something that's a little more accessible, this is the route I like to go. A big part of that is their focus on sustainability. It actually says on the box that, "With no string, tag, staple or wrapper, our natural fiber tea bag keeps 3.5 million pounds of waste out of landfills every year." Aside from the missing Oxford comma, that's something I can get behind!

Opening the box, the dry smell is sweet and very difficult to place. There's the barest hint of cinnamon, and something vaguely cookie-like. Very curious.

It wasn't until the steep was over and I took my first sip that I could finally place it. Drinking this tea is like nibbling on a snickerdoodle cookie! It's a little nuttier, and it tastes like something else (nutmeg, maybe?) was mixed in with the cinnamon-sugar coating, but yeah... snickerdoodle. Not just the dough, either. This has the same browned quality of the sugar that's melted and caramelized on the bottom of the cooke.

Strangely enough, this does actually remind me of the nutcracker, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. Is it the slight nuttiness? The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and sugar?

I may have to make up another cup and ponder this further.

Prominent Notes: Sugar cookie, vanilla, and a slight nuttiness

Aftertaste: Black tea and cinnamon with maybe a hint of nutmeg
Overall: Snickerdoodle cookies without the calories!