This guest post is brought to you by Kala Boulard of Almonds and Apricots.
Spring is in the air so it is the absolute perfect time, to enjoy ice cold, refreshing drinks on your patio!
I am excited to share with you one of my favorite springtime drinks: Iced London Fog. My lavender take is a delicious spring twist on the classic drink. Creamy, sweet, and bursting with lavender flavor, this drink is the perfect pairing for any Spring brunch. An easy Lavender simple syrup is layered with iced Earl Grey Tea, your favorite milk, and topped with a light and fluffy vanilla bean sweet cream.
This drink is so charming in its appearance as well as in flavor. The layers of colors and flavors in this drink bring Spring alive for me, and I hope it charms you as well! If you are a lover of lavender this drink is for you.
What is a London Fog?
A Classic London Fog is a hot tea drink mixed with warm steamed milk with vanilla syrup. It is classically made with Earl Grey tea and is served warm. This drink originated in Vancouver, Canada in the 1990’s by a lady named Mary Loria.
This recipe is loosely based on a classic London Fog Drink with a few fresh takes and a fun presentation. Learn how to make it below!
What do I need to make a Lavender London Fog with Vanilla Bean Sweet Cream?
- Earl Grey Tea – I use Taylors brand, but any earl grey tea would work here. Just be sure that when you brew your tea it is extra concentrated, about double what you would normally use to allow the flavor to shine through the milk and cream.
- Sugar – I use white sugar for this recipe, but you can use a blend of white and brown sugar to make the simple syrup, use what you have!
- Lavender Oil – LorAnn’s NEW Organic Lavender Essential Oil is top-tier food-grade lavender that is safe to use in this recipe. Be very careful when selecting lavender oil for this recipe as not all oils are food grade. This recipe only calls for up to 3 drops of lavender oil because this is a highly concentrated item. Please add sparingly.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – I use LorAnn’s Organic Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste here, as it is my go-to brand! LorAnn’s Vanilla Bean Paste is something so special and has quickly become a pantry staple in my house. I use it in various forms of baking, whipped cream, buttercream, Sunday pancakes, you name it there isn’t a job that this delicious paste cannot handle. Anywhere you would normally add a splash of vanilla, consider using LorAnn’s Vanilla Bean Paste.
- Milk of choice – I have made this drink using various different kinds of milk, but my favorite must be oat milk, mostly for the nutty flavor that it adds to this drink, but any milk will work here.
- Heavy cream- This recipe calls for heavy cream to be able to make the sweet cream for the top of this drink. If you are making this recipe Vegan, you could certainly use coconut cream instead!
- Purple food coloring – I use LorAnn’s NEW Liquid Gel coloring and it added a beautiful purple hue which perfectly accented this drink. This is completely optional, but I love adding a dab of purple food coloring to the simple syrup to add that extra WOW factor that this drink has with all of its delicious layers.
- Mason Jars – Any jars with a lid will do, you will need three of them to store each component in as it cools and for any extended fridge storage.
How do I Make an Iced Lavender London Fog with Vanilla Bean Sweet Cream?
- Make the simple syrup – In a small saucepan, lightly simmer the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved for about 6 minutes. Bring the pan off the heat and carefully add 2-3 drops of Lavender oil (more if needed) and stir to combine. Add purple food coloring and pour into a glass jar (NOT PLASTIC).
- Make the Earl Grey tea – In the same pot, bring 3 cups of water and 6 Earl Grey tea bags to a boil. Turn down heat and steep for 8 minutes. Strain and pour into a separate jar.
- Make the Vanilla Bean Sweet Cream – Add heavy cream, milk, simple syrup, and vanilla bean paste to a mason jar fitted with a lid and shake very well for 1 to 2 minutes. The ingredients should combine and become a thick sweet cream. For an added foamy texture, use a hand frother and froth until foamy.
- Assemble – You should have three separate mason jars filled with each component. Add 2-3 TBS of lavender syrup to taste to a fresh glass. Layer ice on top. Next, pour 1 cup of tea. Add a splash of oat milk to fill about ¾ of the glass. Top the glass with the Vanilla bean Sweet Cream and add a sprig of dried lavender for garnish.
The best part is this recipe leaves you with three jars of each component to be able to assemble this drink at any time at your convenience. I love being able to whip up this drink in the morning and watch the spring rain.
Lavender London Fog with Vanilla Bean Sweet Cream
A delicious spring twist on a classic drink. Creamy, sweet, and bursting with lavender flavor, this drink is the perfect pairing for any Spring brunch. An easy Lavender simple syrup is layered with iced Earl Grey Tea, your favorite milk, and topped with a light and fluffy vanilla bean sweet cream.
Ingredients
For Simple Syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2-3 drops of LorAnn Organic Lavender Oil (do not put more than 1/16 tsp)
1 drop LorAnn Purple Liquid Gel Food Color
For Tea:
6 Earl Grey tea bags
3 cups water
For Vanilla Bean Sweet Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup oat milk (or any milk you prefer)
1/4 cup lavender simple syrup (add more to taste as needed)
1 tablespoon LorAnn Organic Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste
Dried lavender petals for garnish – optional
Equipment
3 glass jars (Do not use plastic. Mason jars work well with this recipe.)
Directions
For Lavender Simple Syrup:
- In a small saucepan lightly simmer the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved for about 6 minutes.
- Bring the pan off the heat and carefully drop 2-3 drops of lavender oil (more if needed) and stir to combine.
- Add purple liquid gel food coloring and pour into a jar.
- Allow to cool.
For Tea:
- In the same pot bring water and Earl Grey tea bags to a boil.
- Once boiled turn down heat and allow to steep for 8 minutes.
- Strain and pour into a separate jar.
- Allow to cool
For Vanilla Bean Sweet Cream:
- Add heavy cream, milk, simple syrup, and vanilla bean paste to a jar fitted with a lid and shake very well for 1 to 2 minutes. The ingredients should combine and become a thick sweet cream.
- For an added foamy texture, use a hand frother and froth until foamy.
Assembly
- Lay out each jar filled with its component.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of lavender simple syrup to taste to a fresh glass.
- Layer ice on top.
- Next, pour 1 cup of tea.
- Add a splash of oat milk to fill about ¾ of the glass.
- Top the glass with the vanilla bean sweet cream and add a sprig of dried lavender for garnish.