Snickerdoodle from 52Teas. . . .

I am a fan of dessert blends, regardless of what the tea base is. Whether it’s caffeinated or not, I always tend to prefer something sweet & unique. 52 Teas definitely has some unique blends so they are usually my go-to. This particular tea, Snickerdoodle, is a Honeybush/Rooibos blend which means that it is caffeine free and perfect for a guilt-free after-dinner treat to warm you up on a cold rainy evening!

Smelling the dry leaf on this one, the cinnamon and cookies really shines through. Even more so once the tea has been steeped. Snickerdoodles are not my favorite cookie, i’m more into hot chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the over with a cold glass of milk! However, the flavors involved in a Snickerdoodle (cinnamon & sugar) make for an excellent cup of tea. Not only is this warm, cinnamon-sugary, and comforting but there is an actual “cookie” flavor to the cup. The Honeybush/Rooibos blend is subtle and smooth so if you tend to dislike rooibos you should still give this one a try!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Honeybush/Rooibos
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

This tea is no longer available.  Click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

On the 3rd Day of Christmas 52Teas Sent to Me (Spoilers!!)

If you are following along with me in drinking and revealing the 12 Teas of Christmas, grab the 3rd Day of Christmas pouch and lets see what tea we have in store for us.

The 3rd Day of Christmas is . . . . . . .

Snickerdoodle  Reimagined

For me, this is a flavor that is really hard to nail. I’m quite picky with my Snickerdoodle cookies and that same level of snobbiness exists when you talk about teas that are supposed to be like anything Snickerdoodle related. Either the spices are too strong or too weak.

But not in this blend. . .

This Snickerdoodle blend is the perfect marriage between those cinnamon spices and a baked good vanilla warmth through each and every sip. I couldn’t put my cup down. I found myself re steeping the leaves several times over to get that soul soothing warmth again and again. This tea is that delicious.

What I loved most was how you could tell that was some serious thought into this tea. The black tea gave you that breaded baked good tone while the cinnamon and vanilla flavors really sold you on the Snickerdoodle flavor.

Again, I have to report that I completely took this pouch down in no time at all. With the weather turning ridiculously cold, icy, and snowy on us, this tea really spoke to me and gave me all the love I needed, infusion after infusion, pot after pot. I can’t tell you have many times I resteeped the leaves.

Another fabulous tea from this 12 Teas of Christmas! I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this year’s offering three teas in. I’m excited to see what tomorrow brings!

Here is the official description of this tea. Please note that I write my review before seeing the description.

Happy 3rd Day of our Christmas Tea Countdown, everyone!

I was really happy that this tea did so well in the poll. While it was a reblend – it was one that I took a great deal of liberTEA with when I recreated it – and so I was happy to know that people enjoyed my reinterpretation of this classic favorite!

Snickerdoodle – Reimagined Black Tea!

Tea Description:  I was just going to go with my previously composed tea description for this tea, but my recipe changed slightly from my first reblend. My original description went like this:

This tea was reblended to fulfill one of the “You Choose the Reblend” rewards purchased on our start-up Kickstarter. The backer had mentioned to me that she wished that the original blend had more of a cookie-like flavor and when I agreed with her, she asked if I could maybe reblend it but add some cookie-ness to the tea, I said I’d give it a try.

I used my go-to black tea base of Chinese and Indian teas and added pieces of cinnamon and minced vanilla bean and all-natural flavors. The result is a yummy tea with prevalent notes of cinnamon and vanilla and a delicious cookie flavor. You’ve gotta try it!

Since I was looking to enhance the cookie note even further from my first attempt at this blend, I added some organic Vietnamese black tea to the blend (this rounded out the flavor of the base just a little more) and changed the recipe slightly to bring out the cookie flavor. By offering a smoother, more rounded tea base, the cookie notes seemed to pop a little more! The result is more yum with every sip!

All Organic Ingredients: Black Teas, Cinnamon, Vanilla Bean and Natural Flavors.

After I reblended this tea last year, I called it “Snickerdoodle – Reimagined” because I took some creative license with the recrafting of this tea. Instead of going with the simple, straightforward combination of vanilla and cinnamon that the original tea was, I wanted to give the tea a freshly baked cookie taste because when I think Snickerdoodle, I think cookie. I heard from a few tea drinkers that they weren’t really getting a whole lot of cookie-ness to my first reblend of this tea so when it was a high vote getter in the poll, I saw that as an opportunity to work on that cookie flavor.

And while I did taste some cookie flavor in the previous reblend – I taste more now – so here’s hoping that you guys taste it too!

To that end, it is important to give this tea a little bit of cooling time. Really, this is important of all the teas I create. The flavorings that are used begin to emerge when the temperature of the tea drops a little. That’s not to say that the tea needs to be chilled – but let the temperature cool to a drinkable temperature. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes (or even 15 minutes) before you start sipping. This will encourage those flavors to come forward.

The black tea has a really nice, well-rounded flavor. It’s invigorating and bold but not aggressive. I’m not getting bitterness. I’m not getting a lot of astringency either. Just a strong yet smooth black tea flavor. The cinnamon isn’t overpowering (cinnamon has a tendency to get that way!) There’s a nice vanilla note that softens the cinnamon note. The cinnamon and vanilla are the two most prominent flavors in this cup but I am also getting a background of cookie.

To brew: Don’t overleaf this one (I find that with too much leaf, the tea becomes astringent.) A slightly rounded teaspoon of tea to 12 ounces of boiling water – and let it steep for 2 1/2 minutes. Strain and let cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Good without sweetener but a teensy bit of sugar will enhance the overall ‘cookie’ taste.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description

This tea – as well as the others from the 12 Teas of Christmas box – will be available on the website on December 28th!

Learn even more about this tea company here!

Holiday Tea Alert! Snickerdoodle from Simpson and Vail

Snickerdoodle from Simpson & Vail was a sweet, simple blend, perfect as the weather gets cooler.  The tea has true cinnamon-stick flavor– not at all like cinnamon candy– definitely the cinnamon flavor of baked goods.  The warm, spice flavor goes well with the gentle dry grass and honey notes of the green rooibos.  Let me put the emphasis on “green” rooibos.  Unlike red rooibos, which can have a tendency to get a little medicine-like, or cloying, the green rooibos always stays smooth, sweet, and mellow, so feel free to brew this gentle decaf cinnamon blend as long as you like.

In fact, I had to brew a much stronger cup to get beyond the simple, warm cinnamon notes and find more nutty, vanilla-cookie flavors.  Don’t skimp on the leaf amount or brew time with this blend: steep it strong for the best Snickerdoodle flavors.

It’s no secret that I love teas with lots of bold spices like ginger and cloves, but I do realize these are not everyone’s favorite flavors.  If you want something comforting and festive, but without all the overdone pomp and circumstance of a holiday chai, Snickerdoodle might just be the perfect tea for you.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal/Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description:

When we were kids Jim came home from elementary school with some recipes his teacher had given him (perhaps for an upcoming bake sale). I’ll never forget the day our Mom made a batch of Snickerdoodle cookies. They were an instant favorite in our house! The recipe was lost for awhile and we would continually ask Mom for “those lovely cinnamon cookies”. You never saw four happier kids than when she found the recipe again.

If you are a cinnamon lover then this Rooibos blend is for you! When you open the bag, the aroma of cinnamon cookie happily greets you. The brewed cup is amber colored with the taste of fresh baked snickerdoodle cookies. The sweet cinnamon taste lingers deliciously on the tongue.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Snickerdoodle from Simpson & Vail

I have never been a fan of red rooibos, although I tried one or two flavored ones that I liked simply because the flavoring covered up the base. I have been eager to try green rooibos to see if I would like it because I would love to find some caffeine-free options for evenings, but it has to be something I really enjoy, or why bother?

I was pretty excited to see that my first ever green rooibos was going to be in a flavored tea that celebrates and imitates one of my favorite cookies – Snickerdoodles.

Wow! Simpson and Vail knocked it out of the ballpark on this one! This is sweet, I guess from the blackberry leaves, and the cinnamon is forefront but not “cinnamon red hot candy” strong. It really tastes like you have just had a bite of a cookie with that cinnamon sugar dusting on the outside.

My daughter immediately said, “This tastes like Christmas!” And I am happy because I have found my evening cup of indulgence for this winter.

Way to go, Simpson and Vail!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail

BannerNewFont670Description

When we were kids Jim came home from elementary school with some recipes his teacher had given him (perhaps for an upcoming bake sale). I’ll never forget the day our Mom made a batch of Snickerdoodle cookies. They were an instant favorite in our house! The recipe was lost for awhile and we would continually ask Mom for “those lovely cinnamon cookies”. You never saw four happier kids than when she found the recipe again.

If you are a cinnamon lover then this Rooibos blend is for you! When you open the bag, the aroma of cinnamon cookie happily greets you. The brewed cup is amber colored with the taste of fresh baked snickerdoodle cookies. The sweet cinnamon taste lingers deliciously on the tongue.

Ingredients: Organic Green Rooibos, organic cinnamon pieces, sweet blackberry leaf and flavoring.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!