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.

CHAI POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• For custard:
• Combine first 7 ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat; cover and let steep 15 minutes to develop flavor.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Pour cream mixture through fine strainer into medium bowl. Discard solids in strainer.
• Whisk egg yolks, brown sugar, and orange peel in 4-cup measuring cup to blend well. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. Pour custard into custard cups, dividing equally (cups will not be full). Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups. Cover baking pan with foil. Pierce foil in several places with skewer to allow steam to escape.
• Bake custards until softly set (centers will move slightly when cups are shaken gently), about 30 minutes. Remove custards from water. Cool on rack. Chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
• For topping:
• Beat whipping cream and sugar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Place dollop of whipped cream atop each pot de crème and serve.

CHOCOLATE GINGER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Process ginger with sugar in work bowl of food processor until it is very fine.
• Place milk, cream and ginger sugar in heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat an steep for 5 minutes.
• Beat egg yolks with a wire whisk in a bowl and slowly stir in the ginger milk mixture.
• Return to saucepan and cook gently, stiring constantly, until it thickens slightly. Do not boil or overheat.
• Add vanilla and liqueur.
• Cut chocolate into chunks and add to work bowl of food processor. Pulse 15-20 times or until finely chopped.
• Add about half of the hot custard and process until the chocolate is completely melted.
• Stir chocolate mixture back into remaining custard and blend well with a whisk.
• Cool mix in fridge for several hours or overnight.
• Transfer to ice cream freezer and after a little time, voila! YUM is ready.
• If you have no ice cream freezer, place in flat metal dish or cake pan and freeze for about 2 hours.
• Puree in 2 or 3 batches until smooth to prevent large ice crystals from forming. If you freezer is not very cold or is very full, this may take longer.
• Freeze again fofr about 1 hour.
• Time does not include freezing time as you don't have to stand there and watch it.

CHAI ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium-sized pot, place 1/2 of the sugar, the tea and spices (spice amounts may be adjusted to your taste). Add the milk and stir well. Boil gently for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced minimally.
• While the tea is warming, whisk together egg yolks, remaining sugar, and pinch of salt.
• Pour the chai mixture slowly through a seive into the eggs, whisking vigorously (otherwise the eggs will curdle).
• Return the mixture to the pot (after removing chai sediment). Heat the custard, stirring gently, until about 170 degrees F. Monitor carefully, as the eggs will scramble if too hot!
• Place pan in an ice-bath to cool quickly, then cool in the refridgerator for about an hour.
• Transfer to ice-cream maker and freeze according to directions.
• If using, stir in chocolate chips near the end of the freezing process.