What comes to mind when you think of tea eggs? Are you reminded of Chinese marinated tea eggs? Or perhaps, do you think of tea-dyed eggs or eggs decorated with tea? Today’s project for Blue China Tea Eggs is a completely different take on tea eggs, an idea sparked from the Mexican tradition of cascarones.
If you haven’t heard of them, cacarones are basically egg shells, hollowed out and filled with confetti or other fun trinkets. They’re popular during Easter, and sometimes even broken over another’s head for good luck (sounds fun, right?).
Blue China Tea Eggs are an off-shoot of more colorful cascarones. This time, instead of filling these eggs with kiddie favs, I fill them with elegant loose leaf tea and embellish their surfaces with antiquish blue & white porcelain patterns.
As long as you apply a gentle touch, the eggs aren’t that difficult to make. To allow the yolk and whites flow out easily, tap the eggshells with the tip of a sharp knife to create a port.
What’s most important is making the shells sterile and dry so that we can place the tea leaves in later. First, we boil the shells and then they’re baked. Part of the process involves parking the shells over the tips of upright chopsticks to make sure the insides are completely dry.
Blue & white paper napkins are a pretty way to finish the tea theme of these eggs. Cut the patterns out from the napkins, then adhere them to the eggs with a thin layer of craft glue. The more intricate the designs are, the more beautiful your eggs will be. 
For an occasion as momentous as Easter, I’m using my best French tea to fill these vintage-looking eggs. Ladurée’s Arabian Nights is a mix of Chinese green & black teas, rose, orange blossom, ginger, and peppermint. It’s an exotic taste, almost musky.
Blue China Tea Eggs are so beautiful, you’ll be tempted to leave them sitting around as art pieces–but don’t! For parties, it’s fun to fill different eggs with different teas. Here, I’ve also filled some of the eggs with Ladurée’s sunny Roi Soleil tea and their romantic Josephine blend.
Each of these treasures is filled with just the right amount of tea for one lovely pot. Share them, crack them open (don’t be shy!), and take a springtime tea break–just don’t break them over anyone’s head!
The Arabian Nights, Roi Soleil, & Josephine teas used in this post are courtesy of Ladurée.
Blue China Tea Eggs (Tea Filled Cascarones)
What You’ll Need:
eggs
sharp tipped knife or thumb tack
chopsticks
bowl, for liquid eggs
medium pot
tall glass
baking sheet or mini muffin pan
cupcake liner
tablespoon measure
loose leaf tea (I used Ladurée’s Arabian Nights)
blue & white napkins, with pretty images cut out
scissors
craft glue
small painting brush
Step-By-Step:
1. Hollow the Eggs. Holding an egg in one hand, tap the sharp tip of a knife gently on the rounder end of an egg. When you’ve punctured a small hole, continue to tap a bit more, then use your fingers to pick open a dime-sized hole in the egg. Insert one chopstick into the port and lightly scramble the egg. Tip the liquid contents into an empty bowl for later use. Rinse the inside of the eggshell with running water. Repeat this step for all the eggs.
2. Boil the Eggshells. Place all the hollowed egg shells in a medium pot, then cover them with water until they are all submerged. Place the pot over high heat, then wait for the water to come to a boil. Boil the eggshells for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully drain out the hot water. Use a chopstick to pick an eggshell up, give it a rinse in cool water, then carefully drain the water out of it. Place the hollowed egg upside down over a chopstick placed in a tall glass to allow the water to drain out completely. Repeat this step for all the eggs.
3. Bake the Eggshells. While the egg shells are draining, heat the oven to 250 degrees F. When the oven comes up to temperature, place the egg shells on a baking sheet or upright (with the port facing up) on a mini muffin pan. Bake the eggs for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
4. Fill the Eggs with Tea. Place 1 Tbsp of loose leaf tea in a cupcake liner. Create a tip/spout on the edge of the liner to allow the tea to be easily “poured” into the open port on an egg. Repeat this step for all the eggs.
5. Close the Port. Use the brush to apply a thin layer of glue around the edges of the open port. Cut a piece of napkin big enough to close the port, then glue it in place. Let the glue dry before proceeding to the next step.
6. Attach the Napkin Images. Use the brush to apply a thin layer of glue on the back side of each napkin image. Make sure the napkin thickness is 1 ply when you apply the glue. Attach the image to the egg with aesthetics in mind. Smooth out any wrinkles with your fingers. You can either place one image or several on an egg. Repeat this step for all the eggs. You’re done…Happy Easter!!
