Chill out with local foodie, TV presenter and cookbook author Will Stewart's ice blocks that are perfect for afternoon tea...
"I’ve chosen the original Yorkshire Tea for this recipe as I wanted a rich and refreshing proper brew that really complements the fresh ingredients of the ice blocks. You want the refreshment of a solid brew without it being too strong as any tannins can overpower the fruit. This brew is perfect for this recipe.
This Yorkshire Tea blend is brewed into a simple lemon sugar syrup that adds the perfect flavour and colour.
The beautiful thing about these ice blocks is that you can add any flavour combo of fruits you like and also adjust the quantity of sugar to your liking. Perfect on a hot day as a refreshing treat after a day at the beach.
Makes: 8 Ice blocks Takes: 15 minutes
plus freezing time (up to 3–6 hours)
Ingredients:
Tea and Lemon Sugar Syrup:
2 Yorkshire Tea tea bags
2 cups of water
1 cup of caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
To arrange:
Blood Orange, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
Watermelon, peeled and thinly sliced
Watermelon, peeled and thinly sliced with freshly picked mint leaves
Lemon zest of 1 lemon (fresh mint optional)
Frozen peas and freshly picked mint leaves
Cucumber, thinly sliced into ribbons with freshly picked mint leaves
Other flavours tested that are delicious:
Grapes, thinly sliced
1 regular orange, peeled and cut into thin 1/2cm rounds
Strawberries, thinly sliced
Blueberries, halved
Kiwi fruit, peeled and thinly sliced
Method:
Heat the water in a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. When the water begins to boil, remove from the heat, and add the Yorkshire Tea tea bags and brew for 1 minute. Remove the tea bags.
Place pieces of the fruits you have chosen into each mould and pour in the tea and lemon sugar syrup. Add the lids to your moulds and feed through the sticks. Freeze for between 3–6 hours.
To remove the ice blocks, run under lukewarm water briefly, slide them out and serve immediately.