Have you heard of butterfly pea flower? Apparently it is a big thing now, or at least I see it everywhere, popping up in all kinds of preparations. It is a beautiful little flower, with an intense blue color, common in Thailand and Vietnam. You can use the flowers of the Clitoria ternatea plant (yes, that is the scientific name) to brew a beautiful tea, or you can also get it in powder form. The color changes according to the pH, so if you add lemon juice it will be pinkish purple, whereas baking soda gives a deeper blue. Of course, the possibilities are endless to explore this ingredient. I’ve seen it used in breads (even croissants!), in cocktails and buttercreams, but today I share with you a very simple way to enjoy it, which I first saw in Lindsay’s blog, Love and Olive Oil.
BLUE MOON MILK
(slightly modified from Love and Olive Oil)
1 cup almond milk (or any milk you prefer)
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon butterfly pea flower powder (or adjust according to preference)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, whisk together milk with honey, butterfly pea powder, and spices until powder is dissolved and milk is warm but not yet simmering.
Whisk to create a fine froth using either a wire whisk, a milk-frother, or an immersion blender.
Pour into warm mug, relax and…
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: For this preparation, I think the powder is a must, as it is very concentrated and you don’t really need to boil the almond milk in order to get it properly dissolved. Another thing to keep in mind is that different brands of the butterfly pea powder have different strengths, mine is definitely stronger than Lindsay’s. I am now using 1/4 tsp of the powder for 1 cup of almond milk, and like the flavor better. It is hard to describe it, actually. Earthy, maybe? Along the lines of green tea but less sharp. I also liked it very much with cardamon instead of nutmeg. Below is a picture of a version with reduced amount of powder (1/4 tsp instead of 1 full tsp).
Some say this beverage helps combat insomnia. I am an excellent subject to test the hypothesis, and I can tell you it failed big time to have any positive effect. But I like the flavor, the color, and the soothing atmosphere that holding the cup with the hot, light blue liquid provides. Of course, I intend to play with it in the near future. Macarons? You’d think?
Matching fingernails, just a happy coincidence…
🙂
ONE YEAR AGO: Slow-Cooked Chicken Meatballs
TWO YEARS AGO: Zesty Flourless Chocolate Cake
THREE YEARS AGO: Maple Pumpkin Pecan Snacking Cake
FOUR YEARS AGO: Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup
FIVE YEARS AGO: Sweet Fifteen!
SIX YEARS AGO: Sesame and Flaxseed Sourdough
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Green Beans with Miso and Almonds
EIGHT YEARS AGO: Saturday Morning Scones
NINE YEARS AGO: White Bread
Bewitching Kitchen 
I have loved this!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pretty fascinating, isn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to learn more scientific names….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was looking forward to your remarks on this post, and of course, your scientific mind never disappoints… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
What can I say? The Y-chromosome is destiny.
(Btw, the drink thing look pretty nifty. Although for some reason it’s not as memorable.)
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve got something more memorable for you on Saturday… ha! How’s that for keeping you around???? see? I am sneaky that way
LikeLiked by 1 person
Typical tactic of the xx!
And it works every time. I’ll be there.
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
cannot believe I messed it up… post is up one day early… there goes my fantastic self-imposed schedule… oh, well
LikeLiked by 1 person
No worries. We all have problems with premature elucidation once in a while. Just blame it on alcohol. She’ll believe you. (*sob*)
BTW, this may be in the top 10 of recipes you’ve posted that I’d love to stuff in my face hole. Simultaneously it’s in the bottom 10 of recipes I’ll ever attempt to make. And I like pink! (Take that as you will.) But yeah, this is one where I’m perfectly content to sit back and let someone else show off their technique. Bravo to you! Now post a pic of the burn, ya pansy 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds delightful! The whole time reading your article, I was thinking macarons!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was sure you would!!!!! how could we not, right? I need to get to work on this
LikeLike
I need to research and find out where to buy in Canada!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
probably amazon has it, try ebay also – but make sure to get the powder, not the flowers – I have the feeling it will work best for macs. But, if you can only find the flowers, might be worth experimenting with them = if you don’t find it, let me know, I can send you some from my own bag, ok?
LikeLike
Sounds good Sally, thank you 😘
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fascinating! I have not heard of this pea flour! It’s certainly pretty. I think macarons for sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely need to macaron-it! 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person