Tea and Pastries

[DoubleTime]

So I'm a really avid cooker, and I'm particularly fond of baking. Cookies, bread, cake, meat-filled buns, you name it. I'm also a tea lover, and I have a feeling these topics belong together (partially due to my love of making shortbread to go with my tea).

So anyway, my questions are thus:


Are any of you cooks/bakers (whether it's from scratch, mixes, etc.), and what's your favorite thing to make?
If you aren't what's your favorite pastry to eat or do you not like them?

In regards to tea, what do you think? Do you love it, hate it, how's it stand with you? Do you have a favorite?



For me my favorite thing to make is bread, partially due to the complexity of various doughs and how much fun it is to make. If I had to pick one I'd say eggnog scones (scones with eggnog instead of milk). They're sweet but not too much, and they're perfect with tea.

As for tea I'm currently enjoying a blend of two kinds, a Thai Tea and an Almond Biscotti. They smell like an almond cookie together...

http://www.teavana.com/The-Teas/Black-Teas/Thai-Tea-Blend-Black-Tea.axd
http://www.teavana.com/The-Teas/Black-Teas/Almond-Biscotti-Black-Tea.axd

I really love greens and some oolongs, though, and have a few blends of each (more than my black teas). I also try not to have too much of any caffeinated tea in one day, so I usually switch to an herbal like an orange spice after my first tea of the day.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I'm British. If I didn't like tea, I'd have been killed years ago by the S.A.S.
Other my standard PG tips tea, I love the occasional mug of cranberry tea, it's clean, fresh and just damn tasty.

 

[the rye]

Oh my love of tea is only matched by my love for literature.Darjeeling is my favourite kind at the moment. I also like going to Fortnum and Masons for some afternoon tea.

 

[Snork Maiden]

I'm partial to most tea, and if it's not Tetley's (breakfast tea can't really be beaten) it's normally going to be Green, Ceylon, Earl Grey, or Assam. I much prefer tea with milk (although I drink Earl Grey black) if it's an option for that particular tea, for the simple reason that you can't really dip biscuits in black tea. Well, you can, but it doesn't work as well.

 

[Talshere]

Generally I only cook meals not sweets.

As for Tea. Yorkshire Brew is the best. Medium strength, black, no sugar.

Chinese Tea is also very good, I will happily drink you way through several pots through the course of an afternoon.

 

[LogicNProportion]

I like cookies savory meals. Big, awesome banquets, etc.

But I'm not much of a baker.

I do recognize how nice tea is, though. I barely do more than Lipton Packets though. I DO add honey and sugar for an extra dose of chance-diabeetus.

 

[aseelt]

Tea is like crack for me!

As for baking: when I live alone I sometimes bake, brownies and the like. Regular brownies.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Fairy cakes are by far the best sweet baked good. I've made them a few times. Don't drink tea though (or any hot beverages).

 

[Zirat]

I've never tried proper tea before, may have to at some point.

But as for pastries I enjoy cookies to eat, and making various sweet breads. You know, like Pumpkin, Bannana nut, and my favorite of Appple.

 

[Spacewolf]

dont like tea or coffee either the smell or the taste (some herbal ones smell alright but i havent really tried to many and the ones i did where awful) pastries on the other hand being from the north of england im required to like (both sausage roll varitiy and desert varitiy)

 

[Julianking93]

Sweets are a big thing for me to bake.

I like to make all sorts of things like muffins, croissants or cakes but what I really love making is anything having to do with chocolate or fruit.

Preferably both ^-^

And, OP, I too like baking different breads and just messing around with dough to see what I get. I find cooking relaxing. I'm not sure why >>

Oh and I actually only drink tea and water, so yeah, tea's a big thing for me as well. Personally, I like mint and honey tea [http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/emeril-honey-mint-tea.html] along with a slightly sweetened silver needle white tea [http://www.teavana.com/The-Teas/White-Teas/Silver-Needle-White-Tea.axd]

 

[GBlair88]

I'm a Tetley man myself and as far as cooking goes I can make cheese on toast, Pot Noodles or anything microwavable.

Think I'll have another cup of tea now actually.

 

[Serenegoose]

Chai is my favourite kind of tea, followed closely by Earl Grey.

 

[EeveeElectro]

I just drink milky tea, two sugars pl0x.
As for baking and cooking, I do a lot of cooking meals, but don't bake often. I want to make a banoffee cheesecake, but I don't know if I'll mess it up.
I like to cook for me and my boyfriend, I mix in some sweet chilli and jalapeño relish in our spag bol and quite like making sweet and sour chicken with butter fried noodles, amongst other things.

 

[fullbleed]

I'm British. If I didn't like tea, I'd have been killed years ago by the S.A.S.

Really? OH SHIT! *Flashbang* *Glass break noise* *Gunfire* NOOOOOOOOOO ARRRRgghh!!!!

 

[Palademon]

I'm British. If I didn't like tea, I'd have been killed years ago by the S.A.S.
Other my standard PG tips tea, I love the occasional mug of cranberry tea, it's clean, fresh and just damn tasty.

Subject: Palademon
Location unknown by SAS since birth.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I'm British. If I didn't like tea, I'd have been killed years ago by the S.A.S.

Really? OH SHIT! *Flashbang* *Glass break noise* *Gunfire* NOOOOOOOOOO ARRRRgghh!!!!

See, this is what happens, this is what happens when you don't worship the delicious leaf based beverage gods.

 

[Karlosdj86]

Generally i manage to slurp my way through around a dozen cups of tea a day, my favourite has to be twinings english breakfast tea but i'm also parial to chinese green, darjeeling, earl grey, ceylon, ying de hong and lapsang souchong.

As far as cooking goes i make good italian meals but notsogood at sweets.