This post is a collaboration with photographer and blogger Love Les. 

I always wanted to be a coffee drinker, particularly when I moved to Seattle for college. It took me 5 years of living in the land of coffee before I started working at Starbucks and finally started drinking it, but I still consider myself a tea drinker. I love a good cup of tea and when I discovered London Fogs, I was in heaven. This London Fog (or Earl Grey Tea Latte) is fabulous either hot or iced. Whether you're a coffee drinker looking to cut down on your caffeine intake or tea drinker looking for a great new way to drink your tea, I think I have the recipe for you.

To make this latte, you need to make a lavender syrup which is easier than it sounds (but just as fancy!). We used sugar in the raw since we were out of granulated, but I typically use white sugar when making simple or flavored syrups. Once you make the syrup, you can store it in a glass bottle and it lasts for weeks. The syrup is great in other teas, cocktails, lemonade, or even over ice cream!

Lavender Earl Grey Tea Latte

Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1

Lavender Syrup:
1 TB Culinary Lavender
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water

1. Bring water to a rolling boil and sugar. 
2. When sugar has dissolved, stir in culinary lavender. Let steep for 15 minutes, then strain into a container.
This is a modified simple syrup recipe. To adjust amount, use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water. 
 

Ingredients: 
1 tea bag of Earl Grey Tea
1/2 cup Milk
Hot Water
1 tsp Lavender Syrup (see right)

Directions:
1. Fill mug approximately halfway with boiling water and steep tea. For stronger tea, steep two bags.
2. When the tea is done steeping, heat milk and add to the tea.
3. Add a splash of lavender syrup. Taste, and add more as needed. The syrup is very strong, so you won't need much.

To make it iced: 
1. Steep 2 tea bags in boiling water (use less water than for hot tea, as you will add ice to cool it down)
2. When steeped, pour into a tall glass and add cold milk. Add lavender syrup. 
3. Add ice.