Café-Style London Fog with Real Vanilla Bean Syrup

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The Earl Grey latte that coffee shops charge five dollars for, made better at home: a short, deliberately strong bergamot tea concentrate, a quick vanilla bean syrup you can keep in the fridge for a week, and milk steamed to the exact temperature where it tastes sweetest. A splash of lavender is optional but it's what makes people ask what's in it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• 1 cup filtered water
• 3 bags Earl Grey tea (or 1 tbsp loose-leaf Earl Grey)
• 1/4 tsp dried culinary lavender buds, optional

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or oat milk labeled barista)
• 2 tbsp vanilla bean syrup, from above, plus more to taste
• grated orange zest or a few lavender buds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the syrup: combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, the split vanilla bean (scrape the seeds into the pan along with the pod) and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep 10 minutes. Fish out the pod and pour the syrup into a jar; it keeps 2 weeks refrigerated.
2. Bring the 1 cup of filtered water to a boil, then let it sit off the heat for 30 seconds so it settles to about 205°F — full boiling water scorches bergamot oil and turns the tea bitter.
3. Put the tea bags (or loose leaf in an infuser) and the lavender, if using, in a heatproof measuring cup. Pour the hot water over and steep exactly 4 minutes for bags, 5 for loose leaf. Lift out the tea and do not squeeze the bags; squeezing pushes out tannins. You should have about 3/4 cup of very strong, aromatic concentrate.
4. Divide the concentrate between two warmed mugs (rinse them with hot tap water first) and stir 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup into each.
5. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until it reaches 150°F on an instant-read thermometer and steam rises but no bubbles break the surface — roughly 3 minutes. Milk heated past about 160°F loses its natural sweetness and starts to taste cooked.
6. Froth the milk: use a handheld milk frother for 20 to 30 seconds, or pour the hot milk into a French press and pump the plunger 15 to 20 times, or seal it in a jar and shake hard for 30 seconds with the lid on, then microwave 20 seconds to set the foam.
7. Pour the steamed milk into each mug from a few inches up so it slides under the foam, then spoon the foam over the top. Grate a whisper of orange zest over the surface or scatter two or three lavender buds. Taste and add syrup a teaspoon at a time if you like it sweeter; drink right away while the foam is still glossy.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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