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Brown Sugar Bubble Tea (Boba)

prep time:45 minutes
cook time:45 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
total time:3 hours 30 minutes
Making boba from scratch means you control the chewiness - these get braised in muscovado sugar syrup for 20 minutes until they're impossibly soft and taste like caramel. The tiger stripes on the glass aren't just for looks; that concentrated syrup is where all the flavor is.
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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.

Notes

Make milk tea ahead for proper chilling. Pearls should be served warm in cold tea.