The Long-Awaited Chai Crème Brûlée

The Long-Awaited Chai Crème Brûlée infuses whipping cream with fennel, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, Earl Grey, and black tea before making the custard.

The spiced cream is heated only until it begins to foam, then covered and steeped for 10 minutes. After straining, it is reheated and used gradually to temper the egg yolks and sugar.

The custards bake in a water bath for one hour, then chill until set. A final layer of sugar is melted into a hard crust with a hot spoon or small blowtorch.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 large slice fresh ginger
• 4 cups whipping cream
• 2–3 Earl Grey tea bags, regular or decaf
• 2 tablespoons black tea leaves, or 2–3 black tea bags, regular or decaf
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar, for the brûléed topping

Method

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Combine the fennel, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. Heat the spice mixture with the cream, Earl Grey, and black tea over medium-high heat until it just begins to foam and bubble, then remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain into a clean pot, return to the heat, and bring to a boil uncovered, then remove from the heat. Mix the egg yolks with 1 cup sugar. Temper the yolks by adding the hot cream 1 tablespoon at a time while stirring constantly. Strain the custard and divide among 12 ramekins. Set the ramekins in a deep baking dish with about 1/2 inch (1 1/4 cm) of water and bake for 1 hour. Cool and refrigerate until set. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup sugar over the custards and melt it into a hard crust with a heated spoon or small blowtorch. Makes 12 servings.