by Jessica Child
December 20, 2019
If you're like most adults, you're tired of waiting for Santa to show up with that grill he keeps bringing you coal for. Try jogging his memory by upping your cookie game this year by adding some tea to the mix. Here are a few common cookies you may have on hand and suggested tea pairings that might just win Santa over.
Your cookies: Sugar
Potential tea: Green Rooibos BonitaThis floral tea will add 'a little something' to the concerning amount of sugar in your cookies.
Will it keep Santa up? Not at all! It may even soothe Santa right to sleep. Green rooibos is still a rooibos and naturally caffeine free.
Your cookies: Oatmeal (raisin)
Potential tea: Certainly
Chai There is a myriad of chai spice teas to enjoy that will all pair perfectly with the oaty-sweetness of your cookies, but if you're not sure, you can go with a classic: Masala chai. It's the chai that most people know, and a little cream with your chai will be fantastic with your cookies. Rooibos vanilla chai is a wonderful caffeine-free option, if Santa wants to nap on the fly.
Will it keep Santa up? If using a black tea chai, absolutely, 100%. Black teas generally contain the most caffeine relative to teas. Green tea and white tea will provide less. Rooibos is naturally caffeine free and will allow plenty of napping.
Your cookies: Chocolate Chip
Potential tea: Chocolate Chai Pu-erhThis smooth, spicy pu-erh may just complete your plate of cookies. If Santa isn't sold on pu-erh yet, try just Chocolate Chai.
Will it keep Santa up? Yes, definitely, nearly as well as a cup of coffee. Pur erh is a fermented black tea that keeps most of its caffeine, and Chocolate Chai itself contains black tea.
Your cookies: Snickerdoodle
Potential tea: Samurai Mate This tea is an admirable foe for a cinnamon tooth. The chai spices in this tea will be a perfect pairing for all of that wonderful cinnamon in snickerdoodles.
Will it keep Santa up? Just enough to get through a few more houses. The yerba mate in this tea contains some caffeine, closer to that of green tea.
Your cookies: Shortbread
Potential tea: Earl GreyGo with this classic tea, hot or any temperature, for floral, caramel notes of black tea are perfect with buttery shortbread, and the pairing certainly wouldn't judge Santa for adding a little cream as well.
Will it keep Santa up? Absolutely, it is a black tea. Santa won't be missing your neighbor's house, or any house in your neighborhood, after a glass of Earl Grey.
Your cookies: Gingerbread or ginger snaps
Potential tea: Thai TeaTry the smoky, caramel wonder of this tea for a luxurious experience. While it's traditionally recommended to serve it with condensed milk, don't avoid it just because you never seem to have any on hand. Any cream will be a wonderful compliment to the tea as well as your ginger cookies. Don't forget the sugar for this tea!
Will it keep Santa up? Yes, most Thai teas are made with black tea and will keep Santa going for the next chimney!
Your cookies: Banana bread. This is not a cookie at all, it's almost cake. That's ok. We can work with this.
Potential tea: Peach Bellini Something sweet and fruity, such as Peach Bellini will definitely pair with your banana bread. You could win some bonus cookies from Santa by toasting a slice of your bread with a little butter.
Will it keep Santa up? Most fruit teas such as Peach Bellini are caffeine free and will not keep Santa from catching up on some rest at all. However, keep an eye out on the ingredients if this is a concern.