Ingredients
For the Milk Tea
- 6 cups milk
- 6 black tea bags (or 1/4 cup loose leaf black tea)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
For the Tapioca Pearls
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup packed muscovado sugar
- 1 cup tapioca starch, plus more for dusting
For the Braising Syrup
- 1.5 cups water
- 3/4 cup packed muscovado sugar
First, Make the Milk Tea and Pearl Dough
This is best made ahead of time so it can chill completely.
In a pot, combine the milk, tea bags, and light brown sugar. Heat over medium until the milk is steaming, then remove from the heat and let the tea steep for ~15-20 minutes. Strain out the tea bags and refrigerate the milk tea until it’s cold.
Next, make the dough for the tapioca pearls. In a small pot, bring the water and muscovado sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and dump in all the tapioca starch at once. Use a firm spatula to stir vigorously until a sticky brown dough forms. Cook this dough over very low heat for ~3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Scrape the dough onto a clean work surface. It will be sticky at first but will become easier to handle as it cools slightly. Knead in a tablespoon or two of extra tapioca starch if it’s unmanageable. Divide the dough into three portions.
Next, Roll and Cook the Pearls
Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll it into a long rope, about 1/4-inch thick. Use a bench scraper to cut the rope into 1/4-inch pieces. Roll each piece between your palms into a small ball. Dust the finished pearls in tapioca starch to prevent sticking.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the tapioca pearls and boil for 20 minutes, stirring frequently at the beginning to prevent them from sticking. Once cooked, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Finally, Braise the Pearls and Assemble
Make the braising syrup. In a small pot, bring the 1.5 cups of water and 3/4 cup of muscovado sugar to a boil. Add the chilled tapioca pearls and reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Let the pearls braise for ~20-25 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to a thick, dark syrup.
To assemble, tilt a glass at a 45-degree angle. Spoon some of the warm, syrupy pearls near the lip and let them slide down the inside of the glass to create tiger-stripe streaks. Repeat on all sides.
Fill the glass with ice and pour in the cold milk tea. Serve with a wide boba straw.
Brown Sugar Bubble Tea (Boba)
Ingredients
For the Milk Tea
- 6 cups milk
- 6 black tea bags or 1/4 cup loose leaf black tea
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
For the Tapioca Pearls
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup packed muscovado sugar
- 1 cup tapioca starch plus more for dusting
For the Braising Syrup
- 1.5 cups water
- 3/4 cup packed muscovado sugar
Instructions
- Steep milk, tea bags and brown sugar over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat, steep 15-20 minutes. Strain and refrigerate.
- Boil water and muscovado sugar in small pot. Add tapioca starch, stir until sticky dough forms. Cook 3-5 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.
- Turn dough onto work surface, knead with extra tapioca starch if needed. Divide into three portions.
- Roll each portion into 1/4-inch rope, cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Roll pieces into balls, dust with tapioca starch.
- Boil pearls 20 minutes, stirring initially to prevent sticking. Transfer to ice water.
- Boil water and muscovado sugar for braising syrup. Add chilled pearls, simmer 20-25 minutes until syrupy.
- Tilt glass, spoon warm pearls to create tiger stripes on sides.
- Add ice and cold milk tea, serve with boba straw.
