This post is coming up quite late, unfortunately. When trying to develop this recipe, I couldn’t think of an ingredient that when blended or seeped would form a blue liquid. Even blueberry juice is purple! Around this time, I stumbled onto a blue smoothie on Instagram and had to read every single thing in its description until I found what this magical blue ingredient was. I found it! Butterfly Pea Powder.
Whenever I mention this magical ingredient to anyone, their first reaction is, “why is it blue? Shouldn’t peas be green?” some wonder what butterflies have to do with it. Well, honestly, I do not know the answer to those questions although I do know that butterflies have absolutely nothing to do with butterfly peas neither does it have anything to do with pigeons as it’s other name just so happens to be, “Asian pigeonwings!”
Why did I refer to this ingredient as magical? Well, that’s because it is! Due to this one ingredient, believe it or not, this drink changes colour. Yes! it goes from a deep blue to a purplish-red colour. This is an effect you can use to wow your guest.
Without further ramblings about this ingredient, here is the recipe to your coloured drinks!
Bon Appétit!
Ingredient
Blue Refresher
2tbsp Butterfly Pea Powder
Hot Water
Cold Water
Date/Maple Syrup or Sugar
Lemon slices
Lemon Juice
Ginger, finely sliced (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)
Frozen Strawberries (optional)
Red Refresher
Hibiscus Tea
Berry Tea
Hot Water
Cold Water
Watermelon, juiced (alternative for teas and water)
Lemon Slices
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Date/Maple Syrup or Sugar
Frozen Raspberries (optional)
Method
Blue Refresher
- Dissolve the butterfly pea powder in a little hot water in a jug.
- Let it sit for a few minutes before filling the rest of the jug with cold water
- Stir in your sweetener of choice followed by the optional ingredients (excluding the strawberries).
- Place the jug in the fridge for a few hours (if not cold enough)
- Serve in glasses with a frozen strawberry and lemon slice on the side. While serving, pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice in for a colour changing effect.
Red Refresher
- Brew tea bags of hibiscus and berry tea in a jug with a little water.
- After a few minutes, fill the jug with cold water and take out the tea bags
- Alternatively, pour the juice of fresh watermelons into a jug
- Squeeze some lemon and lime juice into the jug followed by your sweetener of choice.
- Place the jug in the fridge for a few hours (if not cold enough)
- Serve in glasses with a few frozen raspberry and lemon slice on the side.
If you try the recipe, upload a picture of it to Instagram with the hashtag #lickyourplaterecipe so I can have a look at and like it.
LickYourPlates 