Russian tea! It is a delicious mixture of orange and lemon juice with warm vanilla and almonds. This is the perfect hot drink for a hot day!
Oh yum.
This hot Russian tea is delicious, and I’m not just saying that because we’re entering day five without a centralized heat source.
I made this citrus drink for trick-or-treating after Halloween, and since then I’ve almost always kept it in the fridge for quick warm-up-to-experience fun.
The name is a bit misleading as it does not include real, live tea.
Instead, it’s a beautiful blend of orange and lemon and warm notes of vanilla and almond.
While I’ve said a lot about how much I love hot chocolate in the past, I love knowing that I have another hot drink to serve alongside it for those who don’t like hot chocolate (gasp!) or just want to think outside the box of cold drinking for a short time.
The great thing about this simple recipe is that you can adapt it to suit your taste.
My husband, Brian, isn’t the world’s biggest fan of almond extract, so sometimes when I make this I don’t like it.
But I will say, as a point in favor of the almond notes, which while sometimes I agree with him (the almond extract can be a little too strong), I think it really adds to the lovely flavor of this hot Russian tea, so consider leaving it in, even if it’s just a little tight.
Say Russian tea. You should know her. He was well-behaved.
Hot Russian tea
Yield: 16 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups of sugar (see note)
- 2-3 cups of water (see note)
- 3 cups of orange juice
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 5-6 lemons
- 3 liters of water, 12 cups
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved, 3-4 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining ingredients. Reheat until hot; keep warm on the stove or transfer to a slow cooker and heat on low until serving.
- This can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated before heating and serving.
Note
Sweetness: everyone’s “sweetness” is a little different, so I included a range when I made a simple sugar and water syrup. Two cups of sugar + two cups of water is sweet enough for me (keep reading for the brand of OJ I use, which may make a difference), but if you want things less sour and sweeter, opt for three cups of sugar + three cups of water.
Orange juice: I use orange juice from the Simply OJ brand. The fresh flavor really shines through (the same as fresh lemon juice compared to the bottle, but use whatever you like).
