If you love our Peppermint tea and chocolate. Here's a fantastic recipe for some delicious peppermint chocolate brownies! 

Ingredients

• 145g unsalted butter; more for greasing the pan'
• 120g dark chocolate, 60-70% cacao, roughly chopped
• 45g unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 tbp. espresso powder
• 4 tsp. Tea Drop peppermint tea leaves
• 250g dark brown granulated sugar
• ​3 large eggs
• ​1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 65g all-purpose flour

How to make 

Center a rack in the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 7×11-inch baking pan, line it with parchment (the paper should extend at least an inch above the long sides to act as handles for getting the brownies out), and butter the paper.

Combine the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Add the butter and 2 teaspoons of peppermint loose leaf tea to a small saucepan over medium heat and cook the butter for about 5 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally.

Immediately filter out the tea and pour the hot butter over the chocolate mixture and whisk until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted, then set aside.

Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of peppermint loose leaf tea and salt in a food processor and finely grind and set aside.

Add the eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Thereafter mix the finely grounded sugar with the eggs and whisk again.

With the mixer on, pour in the slightly cooled chocolate butter mixture and blend until smooth. Sift in the flour and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until combined.

"Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula and bake for around 40mins, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the brownies comes out fudgy but the edges look cooked through. The center of the brownies will seem under-baked, but the brownies will continue to set as they cool."

"Set the brownies on a cooling rack and cool completely in the pan. Use the parchment paper to lift the cooled brownies out of the pan. Cut into 12 or 15 bars."

Enjoy!

Try our Peppermint Tea! A taste for all things cool!

Shop our collection of White Teas

Green Tea

Our artisan range of green teas are sources from 3 distinctive tea growing regions. Sri Lanka, Japan & China.

Sri Lanka (Kandy Region) - The tea industry was born in Ceylon when James Taylor started a tea plantation in Loolecondera estate in Kandy in 1867. He was drawn to this medium grown region and it’s not hard to see why, the Kandyan Hills are spectacular - marked by a cool, calming atmosphere and heady fragrant breezes. It is one of Sri Lanka’s most flourishing tea growing regions, but it was also the last Kingdom of Sri Lanka. Known as the central province of Sri Lanka, the tea estates are dotted in the hills surrounding the low-lying valley of Kandy. The altitude is considered ‘mid-grown’, the estates are surrounded by mountains all around, which protects them from wind and helps produce a deeper-coloured, bright and fragrant tea.

Our green teas such as Honeydew Green, Strawberry Green & My Marrakech are directly sourced from Sri Lanka’s medium grown region.

Japan – Our Gyokuro Prestige, Genmaichai & Yuzu Kukicha green teas are sourced from the beautiful Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. Known to be the largest tea producing region of Japan, Shizuoka is also one of the country’s most beautiful tea-growing areas, framed by the towering peak of Mt Fuji. The region is climatically perfect for tea cultivation, with fresh water, sun, heavy mists and nutrient-rich volcanic soil. There’s sun, extreme temperature fluctuations and heavy mists. This unusual terroir, produce a distinctive regional flavour.

The best senchas in Japan hail from the mountains of Kirishima in Kagoshima. Kagoshima is surrounded by volcanic landscapes and ocean, a beautiful and effective combination for tea cultivation. The endless sunshine and mild climate, along with the volcanic soil, combine to create the perfect conditions for sencha. Our Japanese sencha is made by Yutakamidori cultivar and the tea is processed and grown in a very particular way to ensure quality and avoid oxidization.

China – China is the largest green tea producing country and we source unique green tea blends from directly from origins.

Huangshan Mountain is one of China’s most famous and beautiful, and it’s also home to some of the best green teas in the country. Our Huangshan Mao Feng tea is sourced from this breathtaking region.

Longjing village is situated Hangzhou in China’s Zhejiang province – which has a moderate climate and high altitude, perfect to produce tea and our Longjin Tea hails from this region. The misty fields are nourished by low fogs and running streams. The leaves are picked and roasted on the same day, and the roasters use their bare hands to feel the heat and dryness of the leaves as they roast.

Hunan borders several other tea-producing provinces. The word ‘Hunan’ means south of the lake, because the renowned Dongting lake can be found just south of the border.  Hunan’s subtropical climate is ideal for tea, the rich soil, and small variations in temperature through the day produce a very fragrant and beautiful green tea which is our popular Oriental Jasmine Green and Spring Green tea.

Shop our collection of Green Teas

Oolong Tea

We source our oolong teas from a few different regions of China. 

Fujian Anxi, a county in the southern Fujian province, known to many as the Tea Capital of China. The tea plantations are in the lush mountains and hills, green and sprawling. As beautiful to look at as they are to harvest tea from. The soil is rich thanks to constant rainfall and a moderate sub-tropical climate and yields the high-quality tea that Anxi is famed for. The high altitude and cool climate produce sweeter leaves than the hotter lower-lying regions, and the mountainous terrain allows for excellent drainage.

Our oolong teas such as Milk Oolong, Jasmine Oolong, Tie Guan Yin, Ginseng Oolong, Oolong Rose, Kiwi Berry & Sweet Peach are sourced from this region.

Our Da Hong Pao tea is sourced from the scenic mountainous region of Wuyishan is home to Wuyi Oolong. Stretching along the northernmost border of the Jiangxi province, the mountains of Wuyi are home to 36 soaring peaks and the beautiful Nine Bend Creek – a river that undulates through the wild terrain. Tea sustains life here, there are tea gardens and teahouses dotted throughout the region, run by the Wuyi mountain people. Wuyishan has become an Ecological Preserve and is now protected from development – there are also laws in place to ensure tea production is environmentally sustainable. The abundance of native forest that flourishes here as a result, has created a beautiful habitat for birds and insects. This has encouraged the production of polyphenols in the tea, which generate a distinctive, rich flavour.

Shop our collection of Oolong teas

Black Tea

Black tea is mostly produced in the tea growing regions of China and India. And other popular black tea producing countries are Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam & Kenya. We directly source our black teas from China, India & Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka – Our black teas are produced in the Kandy & Ruhuna regions in Sri Lanka. Ruhuna’s low-grown long leaf, full-flavoured black tea combines beautifully with the rich and fragrant tea from medium-grown Kandy. The distinctive flavour and exceptional quality of the sweeping coastal Ruhuna leaves add a layer of distinctive complexity to the blend, while the protected, lush rolling hills of Kandy and its full-bodied plants bring richness to the tea.

Our most popular black teas such as English breakfast, Supreme Earl Grey, French Earl Grey, Malabar Chai, Royal Ceylon Breakfast, My Melbourne, South Melbourne Breakfast & Orange Pekoe are sourced from this region.

India – Our Assam tea & Darling Darjeeling tea are sourced from the popular tea growing regions of Assam and Darjeeling in India. Black teas grown in India are typically grown from the camellia sinensis var. assamica tea variety, and have a darker, richer, and more full-bodied character. Low altitude, rich soil conditions, sufficient rainfall and a distinctive climate help these regions to produce some of the finest whole leaf teas.

China - Black teas originating from China have rich history stretching back centuries. These teas tend to be slightly lighter and milder and are lovely when taken on their own without the addition of milk or sugar.  We have 3 artisan single origin teas that we source from China. Keemun black, Lapsang Souchong and Yunnan Golden Tips.

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Pu Erh Tea

We source our Pu Erh teas from Menghai, a county in the Yunnan province of China. It’s tucked into the southernmost corner of the country and shares a border with Myanmar. Menghai’s mild sub-tropical climate and remoteness encourage rich biodiversity and foster the growth of high quality teas. Tea leaves are grown and harvested in counties along the Lancang river here – including ‘wild arbor’, the highly sought after large, soft, silver leaves found on plants that grow wild on the hillside. It’s believed that some of these trees are over 1000 years old.

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Herbal & Fruit Tea

We source our fresh herbs, flowers, and real fruit pieces from around the world. USA, Sri Lanka & Germany are to name a few. These chosen ingredients use a combination of skill, patience and experience in our picking and sorting methods providing a balanced experience for customers taste buds. Each of these ingredients are focused on promoting wellness in different ways through each tea’s unique combination.

Shop our collection of Herbal teas & Fruit teas.

Rooibos Tea

Indigenous to South Africa’s mountainous region of Cederberg, Rooibos is actually a herb that’s harvested, dried, and brewed into a fragrant herbal infusion. It grows amidst an incredibly bio-diverse World Heritage protected wildlife area, with dramatic 500-million-year-old sandstone formations and 6000-year-old rock art. An appropriately spectacular natural setting for this rich, flavourful and nourishing ‘bush tea’ to hail from.  Smoky, sweet, woody, grassy, vanilla, floral, geranium, honey, herbal and caramel are just a handful of the words that can describe the flavor spectrum of sipping a rooibos tea.

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We think its safe to say everyone loves a sweet bite of something after dinner. Matcha is known for its distinctive aroma and flavour. So we brought our love for matcha and white chocolate and made our version of matcha truffles. You can never go wrong with a truffle or two - or an entire box. We are not judging. 

Ingredients (aprx. 20-25 serves)

• 100ml heavy cream
• 2 tbsp Tea Drop Matcha Powder
• 250g white chocolate, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Topping Ideas (optional)

• Chocolate coating white/dark/milk
• Chocolate sprinkles
• Chopped nuts
• Coconut flakes

How to make

In a heat-proof bowl add heavy cream, vanilla extract and matcha powder and whip together.

note : add matcha powder using a fine mesh strainer to make sure there are no clumps.

Add the chopped chocolate to the bowl and melt over simmering hot water at very low heat. Stir to become a uniform colour.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Use an ice cream scoop and portion out truffle onto parchment paper.
Roll each truffle between your palms till you create a perfect ball, don’t worry our hands got messy too.
If the truffles get too soft don’t worry, place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Coat truffle with preferred topping (this is optional).

Enjoy!

• 1 passion fruit
• 4 large oranges
• 1 large ripe mango
• 1.5 tsp turmeric latte in 200ml water
• 2 tablespoon sugar (optional)

How to make smoothie

Cut the passion fruit in half scoop out the pulp into a bowl and beat it with a fork to extract pulp from the seeds. Now strain this into your blender.

Add rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend till smooth and creamy consistency is reached.

Whilst we say 3pm time is tea time, often you find that certain teas, just like all beverages, are better suited to be consumed at different times of the day. There are no hard rules when it comes to drinking tea, that’s why tea is so much fun to explore. Some teas will work better in the morning than others. You may also find that some teas work better in the afternoon after having your lunch meal. There are also teas made to be drunk in the evening because they are able to enhance sleep.  So what tea should you drink at what time?

Morning 

In the morning when you wake up, your stomach is empty, so you want something that can help manage your stomach’s pH levels. You may want to try out white tea as it offers a great way to ease yourself into the day with reduced amounts of caffeine - a perfect early morning tea. 

For those who want something that gives more of a punch, a black tea might suit you better. It contains about half the amount of caffeine you would get from a cup of coffee. You may want to start with a traditional English Breakfast tea - a great way to kick-start your morning. 

What about Mid-Morning?

You probably have heard the phrase “Green Tea O’clock.” If you are looking for something to brighten your day, you want to drink green tea. It is a perfect choice for the mid-morning hours when you need increased concentration and focus. This tea not only tastes great, but it also helps with your brain function. 

Green tea is very popular because it features a milder flavour compared to most teas. If you are looking to fight off the growls before lunch, a Japanese style Sencha or Genmaicha is going to suppress your appetite until lunch time. With lower levels of caffeine compared to Black Tea,  it is going to spruce you up without having a crazy buzzing feeling.

And for Lunch Time...

When it comes to drinking tea during lunchtime, you can opt for Peppermint tea. A tea which is a winner at all times of the day but perfect for lunchtime. It's easy to serve and readily available in most food and beverage outlets, and also helps refresh your taste buds. 

Afternoon Tea

After lunch, you will probably want a drink that is going to do away with the sugar cravings you may have. Lemongrass Ginger is an ideal tea to have, as it helps reduce bloating whilst aiding with digestion. 

Going Early Evening!

If you are looking for something you can drink early in the evening, try out Rooibos tea. This tea is delicious and offers you the flavour you need for a delicious drink. Rooibos is caffeine-free, offering you a great alternative to the non-caffeinated drinks. The South African red herb brings with its flavours of Vanilla and Caramel making it so delicious. It’s great for tea enthusiasts needing alcohol free beverage options – cold or hot, and rich in antioxidants. 

For Bed Time?

When it comes to bedtime, you need a tea for sleep. So, you want to consider Chamomile tea, one of the most popular teas to help relax. It is soothing, calming, and offers you a perfect way to get to bed. When you add Lavender and Rose, you get all the good stuff you need to set you up for that good night’s sleep. 

So, these are some of the teas that you can drink at different hours of the day or night. Something to mention here is that because everyone has varying caffeine requirements and sensitivity, this tea-drinking guide serves as your starting point. You can experiment and develop your own guide as you discover what tea works best for you at what time. The idea is; tea is a great choice and a fun way to explore your world. It’s affordable. You can enjoy it anytime, anywhere – whether on your sofa in the comfort of your home or even on your desk at the workplace.  

Want to explore different varieties and types of tea you can drink at different times of the day? Tea Drop offers you a huge collection of tea. Explore our range now.