Winter Scent Spiced Tea Blend (Printable View)

A comforting blend of cinnamon, cloves, citrus zest, and black tea to warm winter moments.

# Ingredient List:

01 - 2 cinnamon sticks

02 - 6 whole cloves

03 - 4 whole star anise

04 - 1 small piece fresh ginger, sliced (approx. 0.8 inches)

05 - Zest of 1 orange, wide strips

06 - Zest of 1 lemon, wide strips

07 - 4 black tea bags or 4 tsp loose leaf black tea

08 - 2 to 4 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or sugar, to taste

09 - 4 cups cold water

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, sliced ginger, orange zest, lemon zest, and cold water.

02 - Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the spices and citrus to infuse.

03 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting steeping time to desired strength.

04 - Remove tea bags and strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a teapot or heatproof pitcher.

05 - Stir in sweetener if desired, then pour into mugs and serve hot. Garnish with orange slices or cinnamon sticks as preferred.

01 -

The whole spices infuse the water with their natural oils, creating a depth of flavor that tea bags alone could never achieve—trust me, this is the secret my grandmother guarded
It's naturally caffeine-friendly since you control the base, meaning you can enjoy it any time of day without guilt
The combination of cinnamon, cloves, and citrus hits all your cozy comfort buttons at once, like a warm hug from someone who knows you well
It costs pennies to make and fills your home with a scent that no candle can replicate

02 -

Never, ever use ground spices for this blend—I made that mistake once and the result was muddy and bitter instead of bright and warming; whole spices are non-negotiable here
The zest strips need to be genuinely wide, not fine dust—I learned this when I over-zested and created a bitter tea; gentle peeling from the side of the fruit is your friend
If your water is cloudy or has a chlorine smell, filter it first—the spices are delicate and deserve clean water to shine through

03 -

Save the steeped spices in a container in your fridge; they can be used one more time with fresh water and fresh tea bags, giving you two batches for the effort of one
If you're serving multiple people, this tea actually tastes better made in a larger quantity and kept warm in a thermos—something about scaling the recipe makes the flavors marry even more beautifully