London Fog Tea Latte: Creamy Earl Grey, Vanilla and Steamed Milk Comfort Drink

Make the vanilla syrup: Simmer the sugar, water and split vanilla bean in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve. Cool, then strain into a jar (if using extract instead of a bean, stir it in after cooling). Keeps refrigerated for 3 weeks.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 ml) water
• 4 teaspoons loose-leaf Earl Grey tea or 4 tea bags
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk or oat milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup (see below) or 1 tablespoon honey plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of culinary dried lavender (optional)
• For the vanilla syrup (makes about 1 cup): 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, 1/2 cup (120 ml) water and 1 split vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg, for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the vanilla syrup: Simmer the sugar, water and split vanilla bean in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve. Cool, then strain into a jar (if using extract instead of a bean, stir it in after cooling). Keeps refrigerated for 3 weeks.
2. Bring the water just to a boil, pour it over the Earl Grey and steep for 4 to 5 minutes. A strong brew is important because the milk will dilute it. Strain or remove the bags.
3. Stir the vanilla syrup and vanilla extract into the hot tea and divide between two warmed mugs, filling each about halfway.
4. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edges, about 150°F (65°C); do not boil.
5. Froth the hot milk with a handheld milk frother, a French press plunged up and down 20 times, or by shaking it in a tightly lidded jar for 30 seconds and microwaving 20 seconds more.
6. Pour the steamed milk into the tea, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top.
7. Finish with a tiny pinch of dried lavender and a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately. For an iced version, chill the sweetened tea and pour over ice with cold frothed milk.
8. Despite its name, the London Fog was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the mid-1990s, where a pregnant customer at a Commercial Drive café reportedly asked for a coffee-free drink and the barista improvised with Earl Grey, vanilla and steamed milk. The bergamot in Earl Grey, a citrus oil, is what gives the drink its floral, perfumed lift against the soft vanilla milk. It has since spread to coffee shops across Canada and beyond, and it is the ideal caffeine-light comfort drink for a gray November afternoon, especially when the rain is coming down and you want to hold something warm with both hands.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 165 kcal
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 6g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 21g
• Sodium: 80mg