The gourmet tea latte gets a Lectin Free Gourmet upgrade with organic Earl Grey tea, coconut milk, fresh lavender, and Lakanto Vanilla simple syrup. Make it LFG!
A London Fog latte from Starbucks has a bright citrusy spark of bergamot from Earl Grey tea, with rich vanilla syrup and hints of lavender and topped with frothy steamed milk. The gourmet drink will will run you about $5.00 and it will also cost you a hefty 29 grams of sugar, not to mention the bad a1 casein from the 2% milk. Save yourself, your body, and your pocketbook, by making this classic tea latte Lectin Free Gourmet. Read on for this easy recipe.
If you ever walked in London Fog, it's an experience to behold. Every object from street lamps to trees to buildings are shrouded in a soft veil of greyish white. It's quite lovely. The London Fog drink resembles this with it's cloudy tea appearance. The drink actually originated in Canada, but Starbucks has popularized it by adding real lavender flowers.
London Fog is a cute play on words. The "London" part refers to Earl Grey tea, and the "Fog" is the cloudy appearance from milk. A real "London" Fog must have Earl Grey tea. The popular black tea flavor is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s. Legend has it, The Earl received tea flavored with bergamot oil as a gift as a result of his ending the trade monopoly between Britain and China held by the East India Company.
Most London Fog drinks have vanilla simple syrup. Now, we all know that's sugar. So we'll make ours with a great product from Lakanto, the monk fruit sweetener company. Did you know they have simple syrups in fancy flavors like French vanilla and caramel? It's true. They also have plain. I keep the plain flavor in my bar for cocktails that call for simple syrup. I make a great Old Fashioned. And I keep the flavored syrups in my coffee bar for whenever I feel like a fancy latte. Usually it's in the afternoon. If you'd like to try Lakanto simple syrups, you can score a 15% discount with my link and code.
Just click the photo and use code LFGMONK at checkout.
You can also make your own vanilla simple syrup with equal parts water and granular sweetener. Heat to just under a boil and add a couple dashes of vanilla extract.
The final signature flavor of the Starbucks' version of a London Fog is lavender. I have lavender growing in my gardens. So at certain times of the year, I can cut fresh flowers for this drink. But when the lavender is not in bloom, I use dried flowers. I have so much lavender that I typically cut enough flowers to last me all year. I just pluck the little individual florets and dry them. Then, I store them in a container for whenever a recipe calls for lavender. If you don't have fresh lavender growing in your garden, you might enjoy a potted plant in your house. Just pick up a plant at your neighborhood nursery. You'll also be able to make my delicious iced lavender latte.
Now, let's make a Lectin Free Gourmet London Fog hot or iced. Here's how.
The Recipe
LFG London Fog
2 Tea Bags of Organic Earl Grey (I like Simple Truth)
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk (Arroy D is best for frothing)
1 Tbsp Lakanto French Vanilla Simple Syrup
2-3 Sprigs Fresh Lavender
Step 1: Brew Tea
Boil water in a tea kettle. Add two tea bags to a small tea pot. Fill the tea pot with boiling water and steep 4 minutes until tea is very strong.
Step 2: Heat and Froth Milk
In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup Arroy-D coconut milk and heat on low. Many coconut milks don't stretch right because they have too many additives. I find the simplest coconut milk by Arroy-D makes the best, creamiest, frothiest London Fog. You can find this coconut milk at your local Asian market. When your milk begins to steam, turn off the heat and use a milk frothing tool to achieve fine tiny consistent bubbles.
Step 3: Add Simple Syrup and Frothed Milk
Pour brewed tea about 3/4 full into a tea cup. Add 1 tablespoon of Lakanto French Vanilla simple syrup. Stir. Pour in enough frothed milk to reach the rim.
Step 4: Top with Lavender Flowers
Finally, mark the foam with a few lavender flowers.
If you prefer this drink over ice. Just follow steps 1-3. Let cool slightly and pour over ice. Top with a little more foam, then sprinkle with flowers.
ENJOY!