We’re having muffins this morning. Gloriously fluffy muffins, each with a large crumb and a dusting of cinnamon sugar covering its inflated top. Or at least that’s what we are supposed to be having. Instead, somewhere between the creaming of the butter and their rise in the oven something went terribly, terribly wrong. No sweet and gently spiced aromas permeating my kitchen this morning, only the curious almost-burnt stink that I noticed a few minutes too late. Apparently, my oven temperature jumped 25 degrees after the muffins went in and ruined everything. They didn’t rise after the first few minutes and so they came out looking like dark, greasy pucks. I tried passing a couple off to my sweet husband who innocently enough thought they were some sort of high-fiber bran muffin. They’re not.
As disappointed as I am with these wannabe muffins, I’m still sitting here eating one with a steaming cup of spiced black tea on the side. This tea, the last of a generous sample from Nepali Tea Traders, is just barely spiced. It’s a whisper of spice really so I wouldn’t consider it a chai blend at all. I’m very glad it wasn’t described as such or I might have been a bit let down. Since it wasn’t, I’m not. A very nice breakfast cup.
I’m searching now for seeds to plant in our tiny backyard garden. I don’t think I’ve ever been so ready for spring.
Second Steep
8 ounces water + 195 degrees + 18 minutes
This isn’t as flavorful as the first cup, even with the longer steep. The spice is mostly gone, and the black tea itself is weak. Best to stick to a single serving of this one.
Flavors: Spices