Recipe | Mrs Claus' Banging Biscuits Custard

Happy Tuesday! And 'happy-becca-is-3-days-late-at-posting-again' woohoo! This post is in Collaboration with Kim @ Tea is a Wish - more info below.

But we got a rep package again and it contained all the new exciting Christmas blends from Leaves of the World, and I decided to go with a favourite and use Mrs Claus' Banging Biscuits in my recipe.

I absolutely love when LOTW bring out there Xmas blends and I was excited to see this return. I really miss something nice and full of flavour since going Vegan to go with my Christmas puds, so I thought I'd make my own. And Voilà CUSTARD!

What You'll Need:

- 3 tbsp Cornflour/Cornstarch

- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup

- 30g Mrs Claus' Banging Biscuits Tea (or any other Chai type tea, LOTW is the better option!)

- 500ml Alpro Coconut Milk (or any preferred milk)

Instructions:

- Gently heat 500ml of your desired milk, I used Alpro Coconut Milk (the one in a carton not a tin), and add the 30g of tea leaves to the milk.

- Gently heat for around 5-10 minutes until the milk has visibly changed colour and the flavour has started to infuse.

- Pour the milk and tea leaves into a jar and leave to cool for a couple of hours in the fridge

- Once cooled take the milk mixture from the fridge and sieve

- Add your Cornflour to a pan with 3 tbsp of the tea infused milk and whisk until all combined

- When it's all combined add the rest of your milk and whilst continually whisking add the 2 tbsp of maple syrup to the mixture

- Switch to a wooden spoon and continually mix until the mixture thickens. Add more cornflour if you prefer it thicker!

- Either use now or store in the fridge in an airtight jar

If you want to try out this recipe then don't forget you can get 20% off at Leaves of the World by using TEANOMADBECCA20 at checkout. You could also use any of their christmas teas in this recipe! If you try it definitely tag me so I can see!

Mrs Claus' Banging Biscuits is a stunning spicy chai inspired blend and was one of my favourite Christmas teas of 2018. It contains: black tea, ginger, cinnamon, aniseed, peppercorns, cloves and natural vanilla flavouring.

Kim @ Tea Is A Wish has made a beautiful crumble recipe that would air amazingly well with this custard.

Tea \ Chocolate Popcorn by Whittard Tea

Company: Whittard Tea 

Tea Type: Herbal Infusion

Acquired: Gifted for Review

Buy Online: Online

Loose/Bagged: Loose Leaf 

Description: 

Need something to keep the ghouls and goblins at bay? We’ve blended green tea with toasted rice, coating it in matcha and cocoa powder and adding a generous scattering of whole cocoa pieces and coconut. It’s the perfect companion in front of that extra scary horror film…

Ingredients:

Cocoa Husk 20%, Cocoa Beans 19%, Barley Malt, Roasted Chicory Root, 10% Genmaicha Matcha (roasted rice, green tea, green tea matcha) 9% Coconut, Carob fruit, Cocoa Powder 5%, Flavouring

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans

First of all thank you so much to Whittard for sending me this tea to review. I was whole hearted surprised when I was asked. I mean WHITTARD guys! I was super excited for this tea to arrive in the post. Even when the post left it, outside, in the rain. IN THE RAIN. It's ok, it survived! 

I love a flavoured tea. And I love anything that's holiday themed. Be it Halloween, Christmas anything! So these teas had my eye straight away. (Whittard also have an Orange Gingerbread tea as part of their Halloween range)

The cocoa husks had such a strong flavour in this tea, and I was quite impressed by how bold the chocolate notes were. As these are often a softer, more subtle flavour. Along with the addition of the cocoa beans which gave it that extra edge over the normal 'chocolate' teas. The genmaicha matcha wasn't as strong as I expected it to be, it was a slightly lower level of flavour in this tea and used to bind everything else together making a lovely coherent blend. The bits of coconut and carob fruit gave this blend a subtle sweetness and luxury feel to the tea when it's drank hot. 

I think this would make a nice latte, but that's not my thing. I am going to try this as an iced tea though, because doesn't matter if it feels like 0 degree's outside, I still love a cold brewed tea!

Will you be trying these Spooktacular Halloween blends? They also have a lush sounding Pumpkin Spice Coffee in their Halloween range too, which you can find here.

Book Review | Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Author: Jay Kristoff

Title: Nevernight

Series: Book One of The Nevernight Chronicles 

Rating: 5* 

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: Kindle Edition - 448 (I read the ARC which has 642) 

Published: 11th August 2016

Format: Paperback ARC

Bought/ARC: ARC sent by the Publisher in return for an honest review 

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Waterstones | Book Depository | Audible UK

Mia Corvere is only 10 years old when she is given her first lesson in death. 

Destined to destroy empires, the child raised in shadows made a promise on the day she lost everything: to avenge herself on those that shattered her world. 

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, and Mia must become a weapon without equal. Before she seeks vengeance, she must seek training among the infamous assassins of the Red Church of Itreya. 

Inside the Church's halls, Mia must prove herself against the deadliest of opponents and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and daemons at the heart of a murder cult. 

The Church is no ordinary school. But Mia is no ordinary student.

It took me so long to pick this book up and I don't know if it was because the hype was so overwhelming that it kind of put me off or because my expectations were so high I didn't think it possible to live up to what I was expecting this book to be. How wrong was I!

It took me quite a long time to finish this book, s it is probably one of the largest books I've read all month and will do all year, at over 600 pages it's something different for me. I usually average books around the 350/400 page mark and that's generally my limit. Mainly because I struggle to keep interested in longer books or series, never mind a book that's both!

Nevernight was such an amazing read. It's intense form the beginning without you actually fully knowing what's going on. You think you do, but you don't. Trust me. You don't. It really is an epic read. 

Mia isn't the most loveable character as most portray. But that doesn't take anything away from what she is as a character. She's well written written and well crafted. Jay Kristoff clearly has a very big talent in character creation and development. 
And Tric, oh Tric! Tric was just the most adorable and loveable character and so underrated in Nevernight. He's my absolute favourite character, and will forever be that. he's that love-to-hate figure in Mia's life which lifts the storyline and stops it being so dark and heavy all the way through. he gives the book those happier and funnier moments throughout which I really enjoyed. 

As much as the book felt a little daunting right from the beginning, and it felt a bit much the first 100 pages or so were a bit tough to get through and felt very world-building, character-building type chapters. But they were short and sweet and to the point. it gave you in insight into Mia and her life and why she is the way she is. i loved the back story, it real gave a greater meaning to the novel. 

The world-building is amazing. It's vivid and imaginative and makes for a better storyline and a better read. It's easier to read because the descriptions are insightful and well read.I loved the descriptions of the school. It felt very ornate and grander. Almost old-school boarding type place. Exactly how I'd picture it to be. A school for assassins should be grand, no? The Red School is fascinating and complex and I loved every bit of it. It's the kind of place you'd love to go. 

There are a few 'oh shit!' moments which I loved to read. Especially well spaced throughout the book that kept you guessing most of the way through Nevernight. I love a book that keeps me guessing and isn't predictable right from the start. Which are few and far between these days! 

Around half way through I really could not get enough of this book and found myself reading whenever and wherever I could. i was reading on the way to work, on my lunches, in the bath, the shower, at night, before bed. Everything. Which is really odd for me. I'd only ever usually read on my way to work and that'd be it for the day. But I HAD to know what was going on and what happened at the end which really added to my enjoyment of the book. 

All in all Nevernight is fast paced and enthralling. everything you want from a (not young adult) Fantasy book. It's really got my reading back on track and left me loving reading again after such a long time. I've found reading a pleasure recently and this was no different. Every page. Every word is well executed and well thought out. It's evident a lot of care and attention went into writing Nevernight and a lot of effort so in that I applaud such impeccable writing.