Chai Chocolate Custard With Ginger Cream Food

CHAI CHOCOLATE CUSTARD WITH GINGER CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine all spices and place in a mortar. Using the pestle, crush them. Set aside. In a medium saucepot, combine the heavy cream, milk, and sugar. Bring to a scald. Pull from heat. Add the crushed spices and allow to infuse for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. At this time mixture should be heated slightly, the tea added and infused for 10 minutes. After the infusing process, add a small amount of warm mixture the yolks and temper. Add entire yolk mixture back to the custard, stir. At this point the entire mixture should be passed through a chinois. Pour custard base into desired ovenproof dishes. Fill about 2/3 full allowing room for the ginger cream. Bake in a water bath just until set. Allow the custard to sit at room temperature to cool for about 30 minutes. Chill.
• For the Ginger Cream: Combine heavy cream, milk and sugar. Bring to a scald. Pull from the flame. Add ground ginger and allow to infuse for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, presoak a gelatin leaf in cool water. Pass milk mixture through a chinois. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Cool mixture in ice bath while stirring. Just before it sets, pour ginger cream over the top of the baked chocolate custard. The top should be smooth and just the white should be showing. Chill and allow the Ginger Cream to set.

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD CORN PONE

Steps:

• For the corn bread: Melted butter or nonstick vegetable spray for greasing pan. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Line it with a disk of parchment paper or buttered waxed paper. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water or in a small bowl set over a saucepan of just simmering water. Remove from the heat. Put the flour, cornmeal, sugar, chile powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir together with a whisk. Stir in the eggs and buttermilk, then stir in the chocolate mixture. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until set and a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Break the corn bread into 1-inch chunks. Spread in a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
• For the custard: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water or in a small bowl set over a saucepan of just simmering water. Remove from the heat. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and bring to a scald. Meanwhile, put the remaining sugar (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) and the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk just to blend. While gently whisking the yolks, drizzle the hot cream mixture into them so that they are gradually warmed up. Whisk in the melted chocolate. Using a fine sieve, strain the custard over the corn bread chunks. Wiggle the chunks around so they are well soaked. Place the baking dish in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the custard is set.

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD CREAM WITH SPICED RASPBERRIES AND COCOA NIB TUILE

Steps:

• To make the chocolate sheet: In a saucepan, mix the cream, water, sugar, and carageenan. Add the melted chocolate and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Pour through a chinois onto an acetate-lined quarter sheet pan. Let set.;
• To make the cocoa nib cream: Bring 1 cup of the cream to a boil in a saucepan with the cocoa nibs. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then pour into a blender and blend well. Transfer to a bowl and add the gelatin.
• In a medium bowl, whip the whites and sugar to medium peaks. Fold the whites into the cocoa nib mixture. Whip the remaining 1 cup cream to soft peaks and fold into the nibs-egg white mixture. Pour onto an acetate lined quarter sheet pan.
• To make the port sauce: In a small saucepan, simmer the port with the cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and allspice until it reduces to a syrup consistency.;
• To make the cocoa nib tuiles: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grind the isomalt, cocoa nibs, and shortbread cookies into a fine powder. Sift onto a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut into desired shape.
• To assemble: Gently place the chocolate sheet atop the cocoa nib cream sheet. Using a ring cutter, cut out a circle or square. Top with a similar size cocoa nib tuile. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries dressed in the port sauce.

CHOCOLATE CHAI

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the tea bag, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the tea bag and stir in the sugar and cocoa. Return to the stove over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Mix in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Heat through but do not boil. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick garnish.

CHAI HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat cream and tea bags over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan (do not boil). Remove from the heat; steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags; whisk in the chocolates, vanilla and salt until smooth. Return to the heat; cook and stir until heated through. Pour into mugs; top with whipped cream and cinnamon sticks.