If ever we cross paths, there’s a 99 percent chance you’ll find me sipping a yerba mate tea. The South American beverage quickly became part of my routine once I discovered that it lifts my energy level without the highs and lows of coffee. Come summer, I ice it, stir in some Agave Lemonade (page 133), and relax with the day’s saving grace: the BabyCakes NYC version of an Arnold Palmer. If you’re confined to the kitchen and have a blender handy, toss in the ingredients, add ice, pulse for a minute or so, and sip your way through the afternoon.

Ingredients

　　4 yerba mate tea bags

　　2 cups ice

　　3 cups agave lemonade (page 133)

　　5 lemon wedges

　　Bring a kettle of water to just before the boiling point. Place the tea bags in a teapot and pour 2 cups of the hot water over them. Allow the tea to steep until it is lukewarm; remove the tea bags. Fill 5 glasses halfway with the ice, then top off with the lemonade and yerba mate. Garnish each glass with a lemon wedge.

　　From Babycakes by Erin McKenna, (C) 2009 Clarkson Potter