Fit for the Olympics

23 May

The Olympic torch passed through Clifton this morning, so the Lahloo Pantry team were up early for a bit of Olympic fun. Joe, Hannah and Holly went to the Suspension Bridge with heaps of cold infused Earl Grey and lots of Lahloo Pantry bags. It was a nice sunny morning and everybody seemed to be in a good mood!

Image

Want some cold infused Earl Grey? Follow the red aprons! 

Iconic! Joe and Hannah by Clifton Suspension Bridge. 

 Fireworks and Union Jacks 

The fireworks made Holly jump! 

More Olympic fun at the Pantry until the end of the week! Superfoods and superteas to make you fit for the Olympics!

Rosebud, raspberry and almond cake (gluten free)

22 May

We love polenta cakes! They have great texture and flavour and they’re a great alternative to wheat based cakes, perfect when you’re trying to bake something gluten free. And why sticking to the old lemon and polenta recipe when there’s so much to explore? This recipe is floral, fruity and nutty and looks gorgeous too. Cover it in raspberry curd and it’ll have a bright pink colour, great when served on a slate, as seen at Lahloo Pantry!

Ingredients

  • 225g butter (room temperature)
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 225g ground almonds
  • 115g polenta
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbsps Lahloo Rosebud
  • a handful of raspberries
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • a few drops of vanilla extract
  • raspberry curd to serve

Line and grease a large loaf tin. Preheat the oven at 150C.

Beat butter and sugar until pale. Add the ground almonds and the rolled petals of Lahloo Rosebud tea. Gradually add the eggs and the vanilla extract. When thoroughly combined, fold through the remaining ingredients, except the raspberries.

Pour half of the mixture into the tin. Scatter over half of the raspberries. Pour the other half of the mixture on top and then add the remaining raspberries.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until firm. Leave it in the tin until it’s completely cold. Cover with raspberry curd and decorate with some rosebud petals. Enjoy!

Tags: , , , , ,

Lemon Verbena “agua fresca”

15 May

Inspired by this gloriously sunny weekend, we’ve come up with a seriously refreshing drink that we’ve called Lemon Verbena agua fresca (that’s “fresh water” in Spanish, in case you were wondering!). Keep it in the fridge and drink it in the garden when the sun is shining. Full of the goodness of two of our favourite herbs, Lemon Verbena and Peppermint, it’s very uplifting and invigorating yet caffeine-free.

 

Use three teaspoons of Lahloo Lemon Verbena per one teaspoon of Lahloo English peppermint (4 teaspoons in total per 400ml). Let it cold infuse overnight. Strain the tea and it’s ready to serve!

Serve it with a slice of lemon or a mint sprig. We love it!

Tags: , , ,

Alphonso mango and raspberry tarts with lemon verbena syrup

9 May

 

Once of the reasons why we love this month’s tea hero Lemon Verbena is that it’s so versatile. Renowned for having the purest citrus flavour of all herbs, it’s a great ingredient in cakes and desserts.

We discovered this fruit tart recipe online and Lahloo Pantry chef Laura thought it’d be great with ripe, sweet, juicy Alphonso mangoes, in season now. A lovely, light and fruity treat with the sweetness of the mangoes and the slight tanginess of raspberries and lemon verbena.

For the pastry: 

  • 240g white flour
  • a pinch of caster sugar
  • 150g butter
  • a pinch of salt
  • 4tbsp cold water
  • 1 beaten egg yolk and a pinch of sugar
For the filling: 
  • 3 ripe Alphonso mangoes (sliced)
  • a cup of raspberries
  • 1tbsp Lahloo Lemon Verbena
  • 30g sugar
  • 100ml water
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the softened butter in small cubes, and mix. Add the water slowly. The dough should be a bit crumbly, but it shouldn’t separate. Add more water if necessary. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a saucepan, heat water and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the lemon verbena. Let it infuse .
Divide the dough into four. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball between two sheets of parchment paper. When the dough is spread, peel off the top paper.
Place the sliced mangoes and a few raspberries on each pastry. Fold up the edges of the pastry and pour the lemon verbena syrup over the top of the fruit. Paint the pastry with the beaten egg and sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes at 200C until the edges are golden and the berries are cooked. Cool on a wire rack. They’re best eaten warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream!


Tags: , , , ,

A fresh and floral Tea Workshop

8 May

As the old saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. As we’ve all had enough rain already, this month we’ve prepared a selection of fresh and floral teas that will put a spring in your step. From the rejuvenating citrusy highlights of Lemon Verbena to the elegant sweetness of Jade Oolong, this Tea Workshop will make you think of the English countryside, garden parties and a midsummer night’s dream.

Join us at Lahloo Pantry on Thursday the 17th of May from 6- 8pm for an evening of #teadiscovery!

Taste the teas, learn about the story behind them and take home your favourites! Tickets are 100% redeemable so you will choose your goodie bag worth £15 to recreate the Lahloo experience at home.

Tickets cost £15 and places are limited, so book fast! E-mail hello@lahloopantry.co.uk or give us a call on 0117 329 2029.

Tags: ,

Win a night’s stay at the Montpellier Chapter

1 May

Summer’s nearly here, and what better way to celebrate than a mini holiday break? The Montpellier Chapter Hotel in Cheltenham have offered us a special prize for one of you Lahloo friends! Do you fancy winning a night stay for two plus Sunday afternoon tea (served with Lahloo tea of course!) in this lovely, cosy retreat? To enter, you simply have to e-mail maria@lahlootea.co.uk with your details, including the code MCHAPTER.

Terms and conditions. 

1. This competition is open to residents of the UK, 18 years or over, with the exception of employees of Lahloo Tea and their families or partners.

2. All entries must be received by midnight on Thursday the 31th of May 2012.

3. Only one entry per person. The winner will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by the closing date.

5. By entering into this competition you agree to have your name released as the winner. The name of the winner will be revealed in our June newsletter, and the winner will also be e-mailed.

6. If the prize winner fails to respond to correspondence from Lahloo Tea or to claim his/her prize within 14 days of receipt of notification, Lahloo Tea shall be entitled to select an alternative prize winner. The prize winner who has not responded won’t be entitled to a prize.

6. Prize is non transferable, there are no cash alternatives and cannot be used in conjunction with any other object.

7. Prize is subject to availability, and to be taken before the 30th of September 2012.

7. Lahloo Tea reserves the right to record the entrants’s e-mail addresses for promotional purposes and to share these e-mail addresses with The Montpelier Chapter for the same purpose.

Rhubarb and rosebud fool

1 May

Fruit fools are the epitome of British summer desserts. For this one, Laura at Lahloo Pantry combined the flavours of rhubarb and Lahloo Rosebud tea with a hint of vanilla. The result is as fabulous as it sounds (and it looks incredibly pretty too!).

Ingredients

  • 500g rhubarb
  • 150g (in volume) caster sugar
  • 150ml water
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 1 tbsp Lahloo Rosebud tea
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp rose essence

Place the caster sugar, the water, the crushed rosebuds and the split vanilla pod in a saucepan. Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 5 mins. Tip in the rhubarb, chopped into 3cm slices, and simmer for 2-3 mins until the rhubarb is cooked through, but don’t overcook it as it will go mushy. Let it cool down.

Place cream, vanilla sugar and rose essence in a bowl. Whip it until it’s soft. Do not overwhip.

Gently fold through rhubarb, using a straining spoon to drain most of the syrup. Fold into the cream and then spoon into glasses, drizzling over the syrup.

It can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Tags: , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 25 other followers