Thai Iced Tea Popsicles

Yum.

I have a sweet tooth and I love Thai iced tea. In fact, I think it’s tragic when I find myself at a Thai restaurant around eight or nine o’clock in the evening, and I know that I won’t be able to sleep if I consume all of that caffeine and sugar (the sugar probably being the worse of the two). So instead I have to settle for having just one little sip of everyone else’s Thai iced teas at the table. Tragic.

If you share my 6pm-caffeine-cut-off woes, then maybe the best solution of all is to brew your own Thai iced tea at home, and drink it any time of day. The nice part is that you can make it a little healthier, by using just a bit of milk and maybe no sugar at all instead of the sweetened condensed milk. You can also simmer up your own boba (tapioca bubbles/pearls) at home. And the absolute best part of this plan? You can make Thai iced tea POPSICLES.

I discovered homemade plastic popsicle makers a long time ago, but the most creative thing I’d ever done with them before was probably mix two kinds of juice together. Mango and orange juice are nice together for example, and strawberry lemonade is another beverage with excellent popsicle potential. But none could compare to Thai iced tea popsicles. Creamy and sweet, with a subtle tea flavor, these popsicles take Thai iced tea to an icier natural conclusion.

They are the perfect treat for a summer afternoon. And afternoons are probably when you should be indulging in all of that caffeine and sugar anyway. Come to think of it, the smallish popsicle molds could help me with a little sugar- and caffeine-portion control. Assuming I eat only one.

Seriously. These popsicles are the greatest things since… Thai iced tea.

p.s. In case you’re curious, yes, I made one experimental popsicle with boba! The verdict? It looked better than it tasted.

RECIPES:

Thai Iced Tea with Boba

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

~ 4 Tbsp. Thai tea, loose leaf, available at most Asian markets

~ 4-8 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

~ 1 cup boba (tapioca “bubbles” or “pearls”), available at most Asian markets

OPTIONAL:

~ instead of sweetened condensed milk, add regular milk and maybe sugar

How to make it:

1. If you’re making boba, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, pour in a cup of dried boba pearls, then cover with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, then scoop out or strain the boba through a colander and let cool just a bit.

2. Brew the tea: Use about 1 Tbsp. of tea leaves for each cup of tea you will brew. Pour hot water over the tea leaves, and let steep for 6-8 minutes before removing them. You can also brew Thai iced tea in a coffee maker using a filter, as you would with coffee. (And you can enjoy Thai tea either hot or cold!)

3. Ideally, you should let the tea cool down and/or stick it in the fridge. Then drizzle 1-2 Tbsp. of condensed milk into the bottom of each glass, and pour the tea over it. If you’re too impatient to let the tea cool down first, then you can add ice cubes after the condensed milk and pour the tea directly over the ice. (If using ice cubes, try to brew the tea on the strong side so that it doesn’t get too watered down.)

4. Stir well to mix the condensed milk into the tea. Add the boba last, several spoonfuls per glass of tea, and serve chilled with a straw. (There are thick straws designed specifically for slurping up tapioca pearls, but with a little suction, you can still use regular straws to spear each tapioca bubble.)

Print this recipe! (Thai Tea with Boba)

Thai tea leaves: a little orangey-reddish even before brewing.

Thai Iced Tea Popsicles

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

~ 4 Tbsp. Thai tea, loose leaf, available at most Asian markets

~ 1½-2 cups water (or 4-popsicle volume-of-liquid equivalent)

~ 8 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Special equipment:

~ Plastic popsicle mold

How to make it:

1. Brew the tea: Pour hot water over the tea leaves, and let steep for 6-8 minutes before removing them. You can also brew Thai iced tea in a coffee maker using a filter, as you would with coffee.

2. Drizzle condensed milk into a small pitcher or glass measuring cup with a good pouring spout. I use a higher condensed milk-to-tea ratio for the popsicles than for the drink, to make them sweeter and creamier.

3. Pour the tea over the condensed milk and stir to mix well. Then carefully pour the mixture into the popsicle molds.

4. Freeze overnight or until frozen solid. To remove popsicles, warm the outside of the mold with your hands or some running water. Enjoy on a sunny afternoon.

Print this recipe! (Thai Iced Tea Popsicles)

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