Thai Tea as a Baking Flavor

Thai tea is a strong black tea base mixed with star anise, cardamom, tamarind, and sometimes orange blossom water, traditionally served sweetened with condensed milk over ice. The deep orange color comes from food coloring in commercial blends; if you want it naturally, brew the tea twice as strong and accept a russet rather than fluorescent hue. In bakes it carries beautifully into infused creams, custards, syrups, and buttercreams. Steep the loose tea or tea bags in hot cream for ten to fifteen minutes, strain, then chill before whipping or churning.