This weekend brought a temporary respite from the otherwise bitterly cold Pennsylvania winter. 50-degree temperatures don’t have us breaking out the shorts and t-shirts just yet, but on this sunny Sunday afternoon, we are relaxing with a tiny taste of summer – lime tea coolers.

Lime Tea Cooler

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts cold water
• 2 large iced tea bags
• 4-8 teaspoons lime juice
• 4 tablespoons white sugar

Boil 3 cups water and pour over two large iced tea bags placed in a heat-resistant pitcher. Steep for 5 minutes. Remove teabags and add remaining water. Refrigerate 2-4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

To serve, place 1-2 teaspoons lime juice in the bottom of a glass and top with 1 tablespoon sugar. Fill glass with cold tea. Stir well and serve.

Makes 4 large glasses.

This is what fruitcake aspires to be – moist, fruity, and flavorful, without a hint of gummy, odd-colored candied bits. I love experimenting with different teas in this recipe – Earl Grey for a hint of bergamot, chai for extra spice, and herbal lemon teas have all been successes for me (although not all at once!)

When Mer tried this bread, she thought it tasted like something that the British Colonialists would enjoy when doing business in Colonial India: from that point on, we’ve called this our “Imperial bread”.

Dried currants can be found in the grocery store with the raisins and other dried fruits, and they’re a great pantry staple – I like them in place of raisins in oatmeal and other hot cereal.

Tea and Currant Breakfast Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light)
• 1 1/2 cups strongly brewed tea of your choice (chai or other spiced teas work well)
• 3/4 cup dried currants
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 2 teaspoons brandy or rum
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• heavy pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and line two loaf pans. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar and hot tea until sugar is dissolved. Stir in currants, raisins, and rum, and allow to set for 2 hours or until fruits are plump and mixture hass cooled. Add butter and egg, mixing well. Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until just incorporated. Divide evenly between prepared pans and bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting.

Serves 12-16.

You might not think of tea as a dinner ingredient, but it works quite well as a marinade. Here it provides only flavor, but it can also work to tenderize a tough piece of meat. The important thing to remember is to use high-quality, preferably loose-leaf, teas — bitter store-brand tea bags will not work here.

Black Tea Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups very strongly brewed tea, cooled
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Lay the pepper corns and juniper berries on a heavy cutting board, and crack open with a mallet or the side of a knife. Add cracked spices, garlic, and salt to tea; stir to combine. Place chicken in a gallon-sized zip-top bag, pour marinade over chicken, and carefully remove most of the air. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight. Drain marinade and cook chicken as desired.

Serves 4.