Description
Chai Crème Brulée is a luscious twist on the classic French dessert, infused with warm chai spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. This creamy custard is baked to silky perfection, chilled, and topped with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust for a delightful contrast of textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Custard Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (or full fat coconut cream for dairy-free option)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar Topping
- 6 teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare water bath: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and bring 4 to 6 cups of water to a boil. Set the boiling water aside; it will be used later for the bain-marie.
- Simmer the cream: In a saucepan over low heat, slowly bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Once it reaches a full simmer, remove from heat and set aside.
- Mix egg yolks and spices: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well blended.
- Temper the eggs: Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture while continuously whisking to avoid curdling. This step tempers the eggs and combines the flavors.
- Strain the custard: Pour the combined mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any lumps or cooked egg bits, ensuring a smooth custard.
- Prepare ramekins and pan: Arrange six 5 to 7 oz ramekins in a large glass or roasting pan.
- Fill ramekins: Evenly pour the strained custard mixture into the ramekins.
- Add water bath: Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, creating a bain-marie to gently cook the custards.
- Bake the custards: Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. The custards are done when the edges are set but the centers still jiggle slightly when shaken.
- Cool the custards: Remove the pan from the oven and let the ramekins cool for 15 minutes. Then transfer them to a drying rack to cool to room temperature.
- Chill: Cover the ramekins and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until completely set and chilled.
- Dry tops before caramelizing: When ready to serve, remove the ramekins from the fridge and gently dab the tops with a paper towel to remove any condensation.
- Apply sugar topping: Evenly sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the top of each custard.
- Caramelize the sugar: Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar topping until it forms a crisp, golden crust. Alternatively, you can place the ramekins under a preheated broiler for a brief time to achieve the caramelization. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, substitute heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream.
- Make sure to strain the custard to ensure a silky smooth texture.
- Use a bain-marie (water bath) to bake the custards gently and evenly.
- Be cautious when caramelizing sugar with a torch or broiler to avoid burning.
- Letting the custards chill for at least 4 hours is crucial for proper setting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: chai crème brulée, chai custard, spiced crème brulée, chai dessert, crème brulée recipe
