Yule Tea & Spiced Cookies

Tidings of joy during this Yule season

Do you ever find yourself lost in the holiday shuffle of work, kids, family, shopping, baking.....? What are some of the ways you slow it down? Mine is evening tea. For my entire household.

This Yule tea is a new tradition in our home. I started it last night. My little herbalists had gone out to enjoy some hours of snow play, coming in with red cheeks and noses, so we made spice cookies and Yule tea to warm them up. It smelled so festive and cozy in our home!

Because I like to formulate my own recipes and test them out before I offer them to anyone, this was a test run for our Yule celebration that we will begin in our home next week. 

Yule rituals are ancient traditions. Yule, pronounced EWE-elle, is when the darkness of this part of the year finally recedes and gives way to the light. Yule begins one day after the winter solstice, the longest night/shortest day of the year.

Create your own cozy home with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pine. This tea recipe could also be turned into a concentrated syrup that you can drizzle over ice cream, pastries, or even  use to create mocktails and cocktails!

Why are these spices appropriate for cold days?

• Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg are inherently warming 
• Evergreens support the respiratory tract and are a symbol of everlasting life

Why add fruits?

• The bitter of orange peel supports digestive function and adds citrusy flavor 
• Apples store well into the colder months so are traditionally used in winter drinks

The apple turned into a bubbling spring! The kids called it an applecano.

We tested out our freshly 3-D printed cookie cutters...Nightmare Before Christmas and the infamous Christmas Story leg lamp.

And now the recipes:

Yule Tea
Serves 4

Herbs:
1 Tbsp white pine needles, snapped or snipped into small pieces
1 Tbsp dried or fresh ginger, chopped into small pieces
2 cinnamon sticks broken up
2 cloves
1 star anise pod

Fruits:
2 tsp cut and sifted dried orange peel OR 1/2 fresh orange peel
1/2 apple (we used granny smith)

Directions:

• Place all ingredients into a sauce pot with 4 cups of water.
• Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer.
• Simmer for 10-20 minutes, covered.
• Ladle out and pour through a strainer into mugs.
• Add honey or sugar if you like. 

*This makes a strong, spicy tea. 


Spice Cookies
Makes approximately 24 3" cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch cloves
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Mix flour, baking powder, and spices in a bowl
• Cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth
• Add flour mixture in small amounts to the sugar and butter mixture, beating between additions
• Form into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap or your choice of barrier, and refrigerate at least one hour up to 3 days
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Roll out dough with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness on a floured surface
• Cut out with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet
• Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly brown
• Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for at least one minute before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely

If you enjoy these spices, and several others that are farmed in India, I invite you to learn what is happening in India right now. This is a recent news article that explains how it will affect your pantry.

Lift your mugs to the light! And enjoy some spiced treats with your family.

Cheers and wild herbs,
​Sarah