Earl grey cake and Jasmine tea cake are a couple of my favourite recipes on Inspiring Olivia. Olivia Lam is the blogger and baker behind this online space where she aims to support her community by highlighting local ingredients in her recipes when possible. In fact, if you’re in the Ottawa, Canada area, she is the person to go to for local recommendations, whether for tea, flowers or even vintage shops. To bring her recipes to life, in 2020 Olivia opened an online bakery specializing in nut-free and seasonal treat boxes. Best of all, as an afternoon tea lover she occasionally features tea infused baked goods, too! At the tea table Olivia discussed her recipe developing process, top teas to bake with, a culinary icon she would have loved to chat with over tea and more.
The kettle is on and I can hear it about to sing. What tea are you going to steep for us today?
Tealee Ottawa‘s Princess Presley tea
Nice! I love pouring that herbal tea blend over ice. Tell me a bit about how your journey with tea began.
My family has always had jasmine tea, green tea and similar types of tea at home. So, the first time I had tea was likely at home with my parents. My first tea was definitely a jasmine tea as that is a family favourite and I have always enjoyed the flavour.
As a self-taught baker and small business owner, take me through the process of your recipe developing routine and how tea plays a role.
As a self taught baker and small business owner, I have to think about two aspects (my own curiosity and what sells). I do love experimenting with ratios and ingredients but I also have to think about what would my ideal clientele enjoy.
I also have to think about the seasonality of treats and offerings, as that plays a major factor in how to market goods.
When I go through the process of developing recipes, I think about the consistency, viscosity and texture of the new ingredients. I often consult my book called the Flavour Bible to see what ingredients pair well together.
When it comes to tea’s role in recipe development, I always have a cup of tea on hand. I do love tea infused treats also!
Tea is very versatile in a sense that it can add a unique flavour to treats and colour. Teas like hibiscus, blue pea flower and matcha tea can add beautiful coloration to baked goods, as well as flavour.
I always have to have a good concept of the tea flavour and coloration before using it in baking.
If you could select one recipe on your blog Inspiring Olivia to pair with a cup of tea, what would that pairing look like?
Apple crisp shortbread bars would have to be my recipe of choice to pair with a cup of chai. Apples and spice make for a great pairing.
You cannot go wrong with a shortbread based treat to pair with tea. I love that you can enjoy baked apples, crisp and shortbread in this recipe, all of which pair well with tea.
That sounds absolutely delicious! Let’s say you can only choose 3 teas to have forever. Which ones can you not live without when it comes to drinking and baking tea infused treats?
My 3 teas of choice would be matcha tea, lavender tea and earl grey tea.
Matcha tea is one of my favourites in an iced latte format. But, it is also great to bake with and provides a beautiful earthy flavour to baked goods. Not to mention, matcha powder creates a gorgeous green color in baked goods.
Lavender tea is also very soothing and provides some health benefits. It is one of my favourite teas to bake with because the flavour profile is strong, floral and infuses easily. Lavender petals are also stunning to use on top of baked goods.
Last but not least, Earl Grey tea. Earl Grey is a classic black tea. I love baking with it because the flavour and aftertaste that the tea infused treats have is strong and subtle at the same time. Earl Grey is a strong enough flavour profile that it is the highlight of the infused treats.
Speed Round:
Black, Green, Yellow, White, Oolong or Puerh?
Black
Hot, Iced or Cold?
Hot
Teapot, Infuser or Gaiwan?
Infuser
Straight, Sweetened or Latte?
Straight
Cheese or Chocolate pairing?
Chocolate
Choose one person, living or passed, celebrity or family, that you would like to have tea with. What tea and baked goods would you serve them?
Julia Child is my top choice. She created the best recipes, focused on fresh ingredients and unfussy recipes. I would love to enjoy lemon madeleines and English breakfast tea with Julia.
Find Olivia Lam / Inspiring Olivia:
Website | Instagram | Facebook
ABOUT THIS SERIES: Tea tells stories and when connected with humans, more are created. That’s where the idea for this blog series, At the Tea Table, originated. With this series, The Cup of Life asks tea lovers around the world to take us inside their tea lives to share their favourite steeps, spaces, routines and more. Meet some of your fellow tea drinkers here.