Plum Verbena End of Day

Ripe plum brings a gently tart fruit flavor to lemon verbena, while vanilla adds a softer finish. Remove the stone carefully and let the sliced fruit warm in the tea long enough to soften. The herb provides fragrance rather than the sharpness of actual lemon juice. Straining makes the cup clearer if you don't want plum skin in it. This is a quietly fruity evening drink with an aromatic edge, more delicate than a strongly flavored berry infusion.

Ingredients

• 1 tea bag Food-grade lemon verbena tea
• 6 oz Water
• 1 fruit Ripe plum, pitted
• 1/8 tsp Alcohol-free vanilla flavoring

Make it

1. Prepare any fruit as listed, removing stones, cores and hard stems.
2. Brew the tea in the measured water according to its packet, then remove the bag.
3. Whisk any nut or seed butter into a spoonful of the hot tea first. Add it back with the fruit, juice, spices or other listed flavorings. Warm gently in a small pan for 3–4 minutes if needed to soften fruit; do not boil.
4. Strain if preferred, removing whole peel, herb or ginger pieces. Serve at a comfortable drinking temperature.

Benefits

Lemon verbena · caffeine-free with plum and vanilla

Plum and vanilla changes the character of the lemon verbena, giving a caffeine-free brew more than one flavor to notice.

A warmer side of vanilla

The lemon verbena and plum carries a sweet-smelling vanilla aroma from vanilla, giving you a fragrant warm drink to enjoy in place of an alcoholic nightcap.