Spiced Orange Tea

Despite the lack of rain and chill here in California, I’m still spending my weekend mornings making a delicious breakfast and watching DVR’d House Hunters episodes with a huge mug of tea.  (I’ll go ahead and be honest and tell you this is how I prefer to spend weekend mornings years round, cold weather or not.)  My preferred tea is black tea-  I know that green tea and white tea are great for you, but there’s something about black tea in an Earl Gray or breakfast blend that just can’t be beat.  And if you’re adding some spices to that black tea- like a very strong chai?  I will give you many extra special bonus points.

I recently stumbled upon a couple of iced tea recipes that called for adding orange juice to them and I was curious- if we’re adding orange juice to tea, couldn’t some tasty spices make the perfect addition to create a cozy, warm drink?  After a few taste tests, I came up with this delightfully orange juice-infused recipe.  Try a cup of this perfectly homey spiced orange tea on your next cold morning (House Hunters episode optional).

Feel free to use your favorite sweetener if honey is not your thing!  I love the slight honey flavor mixed with the orange, but I thought my table sugar (or even Splenda!) version was just as good.

If you decide that you’d like an even spicier flavor, my recommendation is to increase the amount of ground cinnamon- I was happy with increasing it up to a heaping 1/2 teaspoon!  Still, I know I have a pretty high threshold for these flavors, so definitely start with the recommended amount.  I would NOT recommend increasing the amount of ground cloves in the recipe, as this is likely to make your drink too bitter.

Bring on the couch and the HGTV!