blueberry

The first time I discovered tea flavored gummies I was at Surfas, a true chef’s paradise and my favorite culinary store in Los Angeles. I found myself moseying through the glorious candy aisle, when bam!, there they were: blackberry hibiscus gummy bears…totally over-priced but quite possibly the cleverest tea & food invention around.

Since that first bag of tea gummy bears, I’ve taken to the kitchen several times to experiment with tea gummy recipes. With the weather heating up this week, I was inspired to make a tropical version of these treats using Tea of the People’s Blueberry x Dragon Fruit Dragon Well Green Tea. This vibrant Lung Ching blend is sweet, tangy, and packed with exotic fruit flavor. You can literally taste the antioxidants and vitamins in the brew, which takes on the most gorgeous shade of ruby-red after a few short minutes of steeping.

My best secret for flavor-packed tea gummies is to steep the tea in juice instead of water. Drop for drop, the candy base will pack equally concentrated tea and fruit flavor. An overnight, cold steep in the fridge produces a brew that’s pure in taste and not cloudy.

I have to admit that I find the shape of dragon fruits to be quite puzzling…attractive, yet rather odd. Dragon fruits actually come from cactus plants. In taste and texture, their flesh tastes a lot like bland kiwi. The color of a dragon fruit’s flesh is either white or hot pink, and is characteristically flecked with small, black seeds. If you’re lucky enough to find one, don’t be scared…try it! That being said, the less adventurous can easily swap out kiwi for dragon fruit in this recipe.

Just like regular gummy candies, these gourmet tea gummies yield a chewy, thick bite that you can really sink your teeth into. If candy molds aren’t your thing, then simply pour the liquid mixture into a baking dish, let it chill, and cut the jelly sheet into small squares. In less than an hour, you’ll be in tea gummy bliss. Guilt-free, antioxidant-packed snacks to munch on whenever you want…there’s lots to love about this adult take on a childhood favorite!

Many thanks to Joshua Caplan, Founder of Tea of the People for sharing his delicious teas with me! Check out the Tea of the People site for more enticing and unique tea flavors, including Acai x Goji Dragon Well and Pomegranate x Yumberry Dragon Well, also great for making antioxidant gummies.

Dragon Fruit Blueberry Tea Gummies

Makes 5 cups of gummies.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups organic blueberry juice (no sugar added)

2 rounded Tbsp green tea (I used Tea of the People’s Dragon Well Green Tea, Blueberry x Dragon Fruit)

3/4 cup gelatin

1/2 dragon fruit or 2 kiwis, skin removed

1/2 cup organic blueberries

1/4 cup agave or honey

1 tsp stevia

non-stick vegetable oil spray

Equipment:

large pitcher

strainer

blender

candy mold or 9 x 13 baking pan

large pot

large glass measuring cup (with a spout)

Directions:

1.) In a large pitcher, cold steep the tea by combining it with the 2 1/2 cups of blueberry juice. Mix in the tea leaves so that they are able to fully and freely steep. Set this in the fridge to chill for 6-8 hours, then strain the leaves from the juice until ready to make the gummies.

2.) Purée the 1/2 dragon fruit (the white flesh only, not the tough pink rind) and 1/2 cup of blueberries in a blender on high. Set aside. Mix the gelatin into 1 1/2 cups of the blueberry juice tea, and allow it to bloom.

3.) Pour the other 1 cup of blueberry juice tea and the dragon fruit-blueberry purée into a large pot and bring it to a boil over low heat. When it comes up to heat, dump the bloomed gelatin into the hot juice-tea-puree mixture and let it gradually and completely dissolve. Turn off the heat, then skim off and discard any foam off the surface of the mixture. Mix the agave and stevia in until dissolved.

4.) Give the candy mold or baking pan a very light, even spray of vegetable oil. Pour the mixture from the large pot into a liquid measure. Fill each cavity of the mold, carefully pouring directly from the liquid measuring cup. If using the baking pan, pour the entire amount of the mixture from the large pot to the baking pan. Place the filled molds or pan into the fridge or freezer until the gummies are fully set and firm to the touch. In the freezer, it will only take about 5 minutes for the candy mold gummies to set.

5.) Use your fingers to remove the gummies from their molds. If using the candy mold, repeat steps 4 & 5 as many times as it takes to use up all the tea mixture. If the gelatin tea mixture starts to set in the measuring cup, give it a zap in the microwave for 10 seconds to return it to a liquid state. Store gummies in the fridge in an airtight container.

There’s something about French toast that I find so delicious, homey, and comforting. My mom would always cook French toast for us when we were kids, so this breakfast time treat brings me back to the good old days.

Now that I’m older, wiser, and in need of a caffeine boost to get through my day, I’ve revamped my mom’s simple French Toast recipe into one that’s loaded with an extra boost of nutrition.

My recipe for Matcha French Toast Sticks with Blueberry Yogurt Dip is where fun, kiddy finger food meets an extra dose of good health. The recipe uses 2 types of coconut milk and honey as the base for an eggy custard soak. Traditional spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are then mixed in with a healthy dose of eye-opening matcha and antioxidant-rich flax seeds for an added layer of flavor and vitality.

Blueberry Yogurt Dip makes the perfect dipping partner for these French Toast Sticks–it’s creamy, tangy, and naturally sweet without being overly cloying like maple syrup. The dip gets it’s sweetness from both blueberry jam and honey, which loosen the Greek yogurt into a thinner, more dunkable consistency.

I have to admit, I don’t think this is the best looking recipe, but I can assure you that it will absolutely deliver on taste, healthfulness, and simplicity. These French toast sticks will get you through the busiest of days while satisfying that little kid in you who loves their breakfast time to be fun, festive, and very, very yummy!

Matcha French Toast Sticks with Blueberry Yogurt Dip

Makes 12 sticks.

Ingredients:

{Matcha French Toast Sticks}

4 pieces of thick cut white or wheat bread

2 eggs

1/3 cup coconut or almond milk (the light kind, from a carton)

2 Tbsp coconut milk (the heavy kind, from a can)

1 Tbsp honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp matcha powder, sifted

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

coconut oil, for cooking

{Blueberry Yogurt Dip}

1/2 cup Greek non-fat yogurt

3 Tbsp low-sugar blueberry jam

1 Tbsp honey

{Garnish}

1 tsp confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp matcha

Equipment:

serrated knife

shallow bowl or casserole dish

large skillet

spatula

cooling rack

medium bowl

whisk

sifter

Directions:

1.) Using serrated knife, cut each slice of bread into 3 equal, long slices (sticks). Set aside.

2.) In a shallow bowl or casserole dish, mix eggs, coconut/almond milk, heavy coconut milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, matcha, and flax seeds together using a whisk. You may have to whisk vigorously to get the honey mixed in.

3.) In a large skillet, heat 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil on med-high heat. Cook 6 French Toast Sticks at a time, making sure to cook each piece on all 4 of it’s oblong sides. Remove the sticks from the skillet when all sides have cooked to a golden brown. Set them aside on a cooking rack, then repeat this process with the other 6 pieces. Set French Toast pieces aside to cool.

4.) Make the Blueberry Yogurt Dip by mixing the yogurt, jam, and honey together in a medium bowl. Garnish French Toast Sticks with some sifted confectioner’s sugar and matcha powder. Serve Matcha French Toast Sticks with Blueberry Yogurt Dip and enjoy!