The morning rush, getting everyone fed, ready, washed up, dressed up, out the door, ensuring that nothing has been left behind, mittens or socks aren’t lost, homework has been done, checked, back in school bag — it can be a bit of a circus act, am I right? Oh, and that’s all before your work day actually begins! Then there’s starting your work day.
As busy moms (and dads), we need to sit back and savour moments — those quiet moments of reflection and just have at least five minutes of peace and quiet. A cup of tea helps me do that.
Just last week, Tea Leaf Co had their Grand Opening and I have been in tea heaven! Those who know me, know how much I love my tea. It’s TEAlightful, TEAriffic…You get the point. I am a tea lover. When I was a teen, my mom introduced me to her kind of tea (which was just orange pekoe tea with sugar and milk). When I moved abroad for work, I discovered a whole new world of tea.
I lived in Japan from 1998-2000 and I traveled all over Asia in my early twenties. Oh, the teas!! So many teas! Oolong-cha, matcha…I drank tea daily. Hot, cold, in recipes like baked goods and in ice cream. Thus began my obsession with tea.
Check out how beautiful this is!
The fragrance is intoxicating. Lovely notes of floral and vanilla in this vanilla-infused Earl Grey tea. Although I am a fan of herbal teas, green tea, chai, oolong, white tea, my absolute favourite is a good Early Grey (black tea). With a good cup of tea, you do not need to add anything to it. Simply enjoy the hints of creamy vanilla in Tea Leaf Co‘s Spirit tea.
Remember I told you how much I love my tea? I don’t only drink tea, but use it as an ingredient in cooking, baking, and ice cream making! Yes, that’s how much I love tea!
I can’t resist Earl Grey tea in baking. It’s just so subtle and adds an extra je ne sais quoi to baked goods.
Little One helped me make these incredibly TEAlightful Spirit/Earl Grey sweet rolls inspired by fellow Manitoulin Island foodie, Baking by Kendra‘s amazing Earl Grey Sweet Rolls with Raspberries & White Chocolate Chips recipe. I didn’t have any fresh raspberries on hand (though I suppose I could have used raspberries from our farm that I had in the freezer) and I didn’t have white chocolate chips. I ended up substituting those ingredients with dried cranberries and the rolls were a hit!
Earl Grey Cranberry Sweet Rolls
- 1 package yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 4 cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- *4 teaspoons Earl Grey tea (or 2 Earl Grey tea bags, if not using loose leaf tea)
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream/half and half/milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix a packet of yeast, a teaspoon of sugar and a 1/2 cup of warm water. Set aside to sit and foam
- In another small bowl, whisk together your egg, 2 tablespoons of oil and 3/4 cup of warm water. Set aside
- In a large bowl, sift 4 cups of all purpose flour Add sugar, salt, tea powder and whisk everything together. Make a well in the centre. Pour in your yeast and egg mixtures and using a wooden spoon, stir until roughly combined.
- Dump your dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead for 5-10 minutes. Lightly flour your surface again if dough is still too sticky. Once your dough starts to feel smooth, place it in an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm area or in your oven with the light on. Let rise for an hour to an hour and a half, until your dough has doubled in size.
- Once your dough has risen, roll out into a 10×18 inch rectangle.
- Scatter dough evenly with dried cranberries. Be sure to leave the top inch of your dough free of any toppings so you are able to seal your roll.
- Starting at the bottom, begin to rolling up your dough and berries using firm pressure. Seal your 1″ border using a light coating of water. Cut 12 (1.5″) rolls using fishing line or quilting thread (place underneath roll, cross over and pull to pinch off the rolls, thus creating a more circular cut).
- Place in 11×13″ baking dish lined with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for another half hour
- Bake your rolls in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
- Mix powdered sugar and cream (add more or less liquid depending how thin or thick you prefer your glaze)
- Once your rolls have baked, remove from oven and coat with glaze immediately over each roll. Wait 5 minutes and do another layer of glaze. If you have any glaze remaining, wait another 5 minutes and divide evenly between rolls.
NOTE: * If using loose leaf tea, you can crush the tea leaves by rubbing them between your palms if you want finer tea pieces. The Tea Leaf Co Spirit Tea has black tea, cornflowers, orange peel and natural flavours. My family likes the pieces of flavour spread throughout the rolls. If you’d like finer pieces, simply crush the tea leaves, cornflower and orange peel.
I suppose sprinkling dried cranberries doesn’t really count as full on “filling”. Most fillings for rolls have sugar sprinkled and other ingredients like fruit, nuts or chocolate chips. We could have just incorporated the dried cranberries into the dough, but Little One insisted on layering it on rolled out dough and then rolling and cutting. She said it achieved her desired look. Well, not in those exact words. I believe her exact words were “There! That’s how I want it and it looks better that way!”
*sigh* Six year olds are funny!
As your sweet rolls are baking, sit down and enjoy a cuppa tea!

Now that I’ve got tea on your mind, wouldn’t you love to try some of Tea Leaf Co‘s teas for yourself? You can purchase the teas online here!
Giveaway Alert!
Good news! @4theloveofmommy and I are giving away a $100 tea gift basket & shopping spree! The prize is a tea gift basket that includes our favourite Tea Leaf Co teas (Crush on You, My Funny Valentine, Spirit, Golden Sun Kiss , Soul Good) AND a $50 worth of Tea Leaf Co products! Winner’s choice! You get to pick the teas you’d like to have! How awesome is that? Honestly, it’s a tea lover’s dream come true!
Enter using the form below. Contest runs from January 12-26, 2015. Open to U.S. and Canada.
I’d love to try Spirit.
SOUL GOOD | Organic Apple Cider Oolong Tea
I would love to try the cafe caramel black tea!
I want to try the Crush on You first.
Would love to try the Crush on You first.
I think I would try Crush On You Tea flavor first
Crush on you Tea
I would want to try Crush On You <3
I would try Soul Good first.
I would love to try the Coconut Chai!! Yum!
Soul Good please!!
I would love to try the coconut chia first
i would try the matcha!
I would like to try the crush on your first.
Golden Sun Kiss is a must try first!
I’d love to tr their coocnut chai first!
Golden Sun Kiss
I would try Crush on You!
I think the Irie coconut chai sounds yummy!
I would want to try the Spirit flavor first!
I would try My Funny Valentine first because I’ve never been able to turn down cinnamon or chocolate!
would love to try Crush on you
I want to try Irie.
I would like to take a sip of soul good. nice names 🙂
Chocolate black tea
Golden Sun Kiss
brown sugar organic oolong tea
I would like to try My funny valentine.
LOVE TO TRY
I would try the spirit vanilla infused earl grey black tea.
Golden sun kiss sounds lovely.
I’d try Crush On You
I’d try Crush On You
I would try crush on you
I would try Golden Sun Kiss first! Sounds like the perfect tea to increase wintertime happiness:]
CRUSH ON YOU | Organic Strawberry Hibiscus White Tea sounds amazing!
My Funny Valentine sounds fun!
Crush for you is my choice
Id like to try soul good
My Funny Valentine sounds delicious!
I’d try Crush On You
I would try crush on you first. Love love tea!!
First I would try My Funny Valentine ~ I love cinnamon and chocolate!
I would try My Funny Valentine first. It sounds like the perfect beverage treat to have during the day. Sweet and creamy – amazing!
This one: SPIRIT | ORGANIC VANILLA INFUSED EARL GREY BLACK TEA. I love all kinds of tea!
Thanks.
would love to try the Crush on You.
Definitely Golden Sun Kiss, the name is beautiful and I adore oolongs
I would try Golden Sun Kiss
I would try Golden Sun Kiss
Crush on you sounds good!
I would try MY FUNNY VALENTINE | ORGANIC CINNAMON CHOCOLATE BLACK TEA first!
I would like to the My Funny Valentine and Brown Sugar teas.
I’d definitely try the Golden Sun Kiss first.
I’d love to try the Moroccan Mint (Just to Be Cool), I love mint anything lol
I would like to try the Crush on You tea.
I would love to try Crush on you First!
I’d try “Crush on You”……sounds like a lovely combination of flavours.
I would try Crush On You first!
I would try Spirit first.
Crush on You sounds delish!
I’d try Irie Organic Coconut Chai. Yum!
I would love to try the SOUL GOOD | Organic Apple Cider Oolong Tea
I’d love to try the IRIE | ORGANIC COCONUT CHAI.
I would try Crush On You first.
Great Tea names!! I think I would try the Crush on you
The chocolate black tea sounds fab!
Would love to try Love and Laughter Organic Rooisbos Herbal Tea -sounds amazing!
the crush on you
I would try Soul Good
I’d try Spirit first!
I’d like to try the ROCK STAR | ORGANIC ROCKIN’ BERRY WHITE TEA.
Golden sun kiss sounds amazing!!!
I would try a classic tea like earl grey and oolong first
chocolate black tea ..but so many awesome flavours to choose from
I would try Crush On You. Such a lovely name!
so many cool names and flavours! I think would try : IRIE | Organic Coconut Chai first!