Russian Spiced Tea
This old-fashioned dry mix waits in a jar until a cold day calls for hot tea. Citrus and warm spice fill the cup as soon as you stir in hot water.
Recipe link
Prep time10 min
Cook time5 minutes to boil serving water; dry mix needs no cooking
Total time15 min
- Course
- Beverages
- Cuisine
- Granny's Recipes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Est. calories / serving
- 25
Ingredients
- 18 oz orange-flavored drink mix
- 1 cup plain unsweetened instant tea powder
- 1 small package lemonade drink mix
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon — ground
- 2 teaspoons cloves — ground
- As needed vodka (optional) — optional, for serving
- As needed honey (optional) — optional, for serving
Garnish
- As needed orange — slices
- As needed lemon — wedges
- As needed cinnamon — sticks
Instructions
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the orange drink mix, instant tea powder, lemonade mix, sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Whisk for about 1 minute, until the color is uniform and no concentrated streaks or pockets of spice remain.18 oz orange drink mix, 1 cup instant tea powder, 1 package lemonade mix, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp cloves
- Store the Mix: Transfer the mixture to an airtight jar or sealed container. Label the container with the preparation date and keep it in a cool, dry place. Stir or shake the mix before measuring if the spices settle during storage.
- Prepare a Mug: Place 2 teaspoons tea mix in a heat-safe mug. Add 1 cup freshly boiled water and stir for 20 to 30 seconds, until the mix is fully dissolved. Taste and add more mix if a stronger drink is desired.2 tsp tea mix, 1 cup hot water
- Serve: Serve immediately while hot, plain or with orange slices, lemon wedges, a cinnamon stick, or honey. A small splash of vodka may be added to an individual adult serving if desired.
Notes
- Ingredient Selection: Use plain unsweetened instant tea powder. Use the same type and package size of lemonade mix each time; sweetened and unsweetened lemonade mixes are not interchangeable without adjusting the added sugar.
- Mixing: Whisk thoroughly so the cinnamon and cloves are evenly distributed. Stir or shake the stored mixture before measuring if the spices settle.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months for best quality, or until the earliest best-by date among the packaged ingredients.
- Serving: Begin with 2 teaspoons mix per cup of hot water and add more to taste. Add honey or vodka only to individual servings rather than to the stored dry mix.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with Steamed Cranberry Pudding, Classic Holiday Fruit Cake, or Snow Drop Butter Cookies.
- Gifting: Package the dry mix in airtight jars and include the preparation date and directions to stir 2 teaspoons into 1 cup hot water.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)
Yield
About 4-5 cups dry mix — Serving size: 2 teaspoons dry mix prepared with 1 cup hot water
Some ingredients could not be modeled and may meaningfully change the totals. Treat these values as a rough estimate.
- Calories
- 25
- Carbohydrates
- 7 g
- Protein
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Sodium
- 0 mg
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Total Sugars
- 7 g
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Airtight jar or container (Use a container large enough to hold about 4-5 cups of dry mix.)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kettle or small saucepan (For boiling the water used to prepare individual servings.)
- Heat-safe mug