Chai Tea Custard Food

CHAI TEA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat milk in a saucepan until just boiling and remove from heat; add tea bag and let sit until tea has steeped, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove tea bag.
• Whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and salt together in a bowl. Pour 1/3 the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until combined. Pour egg-milk mixture back into saucepan with milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until custard thickens and easily coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Well defined trails should appear when you drag your finger across the back of a coated spoon.
• Stir butter into custard until melted; pour into serving dishes or ramekins. Chill custard in the refrigerator, at least 1 hour.

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 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 sauce pot, 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 oven proof 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.
• 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.

TRADITIONAL CHAI TEA

Steps:

• In large saucepan combine first nine ingredients.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer ten minutes.
• Remove from heat and strain with fine sieve or through coffee filters.
• Return to pot and add honey until melted.
• Add milk and heat through, but do not boil.
• Serve in clear mugs with a pinch of cinnamon on top.
• Merry Christmas!
• You can also store the tea without the honey and milk in the fridge, then just reheat and add milk and honey to taste.
• This is a nice tea to serve with gingerbread or shortbread cookies at gatherings.