Get in the festive mood minus the booze with our lovely Christmas tea recipe. This warming, spicy beverage can be enjoyed by all the Family and is very easy to make. It also makes a lovely gift if you are looking to offer  something more personal.

Ingredients:

100g (1/2 a cup) of black tea - We recommend the malty, strong and slightly spicy Assam Molkalbari East 
5 to 6 cloves
1 vanilla pod 
1 cinnamon stick 
1/2 an orange (medium sized)

How to Make:

Step 1:
Peel the orange skin with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Ideally you need decent sized pieces of rind about 1 inch long. Make sure you remove as much white pith as you can.

Place on a baking tray to dry in the oven at 100°C for around 25mintes (depending on the type of oven it may take a little longer). Leave to cool and cut into smaller strips if necessary.

Step 2:
Lightly grind the cloves and cinnamon using a pestle and mortar. Alternatively crush underneath a heavy chopping board to achieve a coarse consistency.

Step 3:
Slice the vanilla pod down the middle and then into smaller 1 inch pieces.

Step 4:
Place all the ingredients into a large tin, close the lid and shake well. Make sure that all is mixed thoroughly. If you do not have a tin then a large mixing bowl is fine.

- You are now ready to brew your homemade loose leaf Christmas tea. Enjoy!