Creamy cold low carb chai iced tea with a delicious hint of rose water. A sugar-free summer drink for the senses.This post is sponsored by Nielsen-MAssey
Have you ever tried rose water? This is definitely a new-to-me ingredient. Before becoming a blogger and perusing the vast landscape of food blogs, I thought of rose water as an eau de toilette, a perfume, something that I might find in Crabtree and Evelyn. And so it is, of course, but it’s also something you can use for culinary purposes to give a lovely floral scent to desserts, baked goods, cocktails, and other beverages. I swear I would not have known this if not for my addiction to pretty food photo sites like Foodgawker and Pinterest. A search for “rose water” on those sites and you will see some of the prettiest creations you can imagine.
Rose water had been on my list to try for a while now so it was perfect timing when Nielsen-Massey asked me to create a summer beverage recipe featuring their extracts. I didn’t have a clue that they made rose water along with their world-renowned vanillas, but I spotted it on their product list and knew I had to get my hands on some. I also selected some orange blossom water and some Mexican vanilla to try.
When you open the rose water and give it a sniff, it smells as if you are walking through lush gardens full of roses in bloom. You might be tempted to dab a little behind your ears, and really, who could blame you? The floral notes suggested to me that it might pair well with the strong, warm spices in chai tea. So I created a chai tea base to which I could then add sweetener, cream and rose water. I intended to also try the orange blossom water in the chai as well. Alas, that bottle fell from my over-stuffed baking cupboard the other day and shattered all over my counter. It smelled amazing, however, and I suspect it would also be a great addition to chai lattes!
I was worried that the strong flavours of cinnamon, cardamom and ginger might overwhelm the delicate rose water, but my fears were unfounded. The scent is delicate but the taste comes through strikingly so a little goes a long way. Together with the chai and cream over ice, it made for a remarkably refreshing summer drink. And I can already see other rose-scented recipes…scones, biscotti, ice cream, panna cotta. The possibilities for rose water seem endless. Check out the Uses and Pairings guide from Nielsen-Massey for great ideas on how to use all of their flavourings.
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nielsen-Massey. All recipes, photography and opinions are my own.
Rose-Scented Iced Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½- inch piece fresh ginger peeled and sliced
- ½ star anise
- 8 cardamom seeds gently crushed
- 6 whole peppercorns
- Pinch ground cloves
- 2 bags black tea can be decaf
- ½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Rose Water
- 2 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream for topping optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, cinnamon sticks, ginger, star anise, cardamom seeds, peppercorns and cloves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep 5 to 10 minutes, then strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate until chilled.
- Add vanilla, rose water and sweetener. Stir until sweetener is dissolved. Divide between two large glasses filled with ice.
- Add whipping cream and stir until well mixed. Add whipped cream for topping, if desired.
Notes
Total fat: 20.88g
Calories from fat: 187
Cholesterol: 81mg
Carbohydrate, by difference: 1.79g
Total dietary fiber: --
Protein: 1.22g
Nutmeg Nanny says
What a great looking latte! I never would have thought to add rose water but now I”m totally intrigued. Lucky for me I have a bottle sitting in my pantry 🙂
Susan Parker says
Carolyn, 81 carbs? Is that a typo? Lovely recipe.
Carolyn says
You’re reading the number that goes with Cholesterol (81 mg). Each serving, as I say just above that, has 1.79 g of carbs.
Andrea says
Carolyn, you have NO idea how happy this makes me! I am a HUGE fan of your site. I’ve been on LCHF for 2+ years and much of my success is due to your recipes, particularly sweets 🙂
I also adore rose-scented foods/drinks, and to know you are thinking of using rose, orange blossom, etc makes me beyond excited! I am also a huge fan of lavender, so hope to see more of that too 🙂
Yay!! Thank you!!!
Rose and dark chocolate is a pretty amazing combo, imho..i’ve been meaning to adapt your fudge recipe with rosewater!
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says
Rose water has also been on MY list to try! I actually hadn’t though about putting it in a chai drink, but it seems to make perfect sense. Great recipe Carolyn!