Licorice Lemonade

I am always on the lookout for good black licorice.  It's one of those things that I like to have in my cupboards for when I need a little something sweet.  I thought up this lemonade in attempts to use up the lemons on our tree and satisfy my love of licorice.  And with the temperature here pushing 110 degrees Fahrenheit, an ice cold glass of anything, really hits the spot!

Lemonade Starter

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

1.  Mix water and sugar in a pot over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved and set aside to cool.

2.  Once the water/sugar mixture has cooled, add remaining ingredients, and stir.

3.  Store mixture, covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Licorice Lemonade

Ingredients

5 cups water

3 licorice herbal tea bags(I use the Stash Licorice Spice)

Lemonade Starter

lemon slices

ice

Directions

1.  Boil 5 cups of water in a pot.

2.  Remove from heat and add tea bags.  Allow to steep for 3-5 minutes.

3.  Discard tea bags and chill.

4.  Once it has chilled, add the Lemonade Starter and desired amount of ice.  

5.  Garnish with lemon slices.