Week 38

Spicy 

Usually when we think of spicy we think of hot food, but I thought I would give the theme a slightly different taste, and go for some sweet spices.

This recipe is compliments of Jimmy Seervai from Masterchef.  He has graciously given me the recipe so I hope I have done it justice.  I have adjusted the recipe slightly because I have a sweet tooth and my husband loves white chocolate.

Ingredients:
600ml thickened cream
5 cardamon pods

1 star anise pod

2 cloves

1 cinanmon stick

¼ t/s Nutmeg freshly grated

10 Saffron threads (optional)
1 t/s vanilla bean paste
180gm white chocolate

6 egg yolks
¼ cup caster sugar
60g Caster sugar (For caramelising top)
Cinnamon Powder for dusting

Method:

Preheat oven to 120°C

Place the cardamon, star anise,cloves and cinamamon stick in a mortar and pestle and give it a few pounds to break open the pods and stick.

Place the cream, and all the spices, vanilla and saffron in a saucepan.  Grate a small amount of nutmeg into the mix. Put pan on a medium heat and bring to scalding point, then remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the egg mix.

Whisk together egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl for 2-3 minutes or until pale and thickened.

Strain the cream mixture through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a clean chux to remove the spices.

Once the cream is strained add the white chocolate in cubes to the cream mixture.  Stir until the chocolate is completed melted.

Take the cream and chocolate mix and start slowly adding it to the egg yolks.  Whisk well in between each addition.  Continuing to whisk until all the cream is added and it is well combined, (be careful not to cook the eggs with the hot cream.)

Pour finish Chai Crème into 6 individual remekins.

Carefully place ramekins in a deep roasting pan lined with a tea towel. Pour boiling water into pan to come halfway up the sides of ramekins. The tea towel will be submerged in the water.

Cover pan loosely with foil, shiny side down.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the custard has just set. Remove ramekins from the water bath, and set aside to cool. The ramekins can be placed in the fridge but not the freezer.... don’t want to make the same mistake as Jimmy did on Masterchef, or you will end up with chai soup!

When ready to serve, take the ramekins out of the fridge and sprinkle cater sugar evenly over the surface of the baked custards. Run a kitchen blowtorch over the custards, or place under a preheated very hot grill until the sugar bubbles and caramelises.

Dust a very fine layer of cinnamon powder over the top and serve. Make sure that you do this at the very end or the cinnamon will burn if you use a blow torch on it.

I didn't have a blow torch so my toffee doesn't look as good as it should but it tasted awesome!

Thanks Jimmy! Let me know what you think?