Chai Masala Creme Brulee

Preheat oven to 210 degrees F (100 degrees C).

Prepare your spices by adding the Green Cardamom Pods (40 g), Whole Cloves (4 Tbsp), Whole Nutmeg (1), Cinnamon Sticks (50 g), and Black Peppercorns (12) to a dry, hot pan. Toast for 2 minutes until fragrant and set them aside to infuse the custard.

Add Milk (100 mL) and Heavy Cream (400 mL) into a saucepan on medium heat, along with the Fresh Ginger (100 g) and toasted spices. Cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to boil, turn off the heat immediately and leave the mixture to infuse and cool down for at least 15 minutes.

Beat the Egg (1) with a whisk or fork until combined. Add in yolks of the Eggs (4) and Brown Sugar (100 g) and stir gently with a spatula.

Add the spiced liquid into the egg mixture through a sieve. Add gradually while stirring gently, whisking slowly to ensure no bubbles form.

Set ramekins into a baking dish. Strain the creme brulee mixture a second time through a sieve and into the prepared ramekins. Put into the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Once your creme brulee is cooked through, remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Place in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours before finishing with the cinnamon-sugar coating.

Combine Ground Cinnamon (1/4 tsp) and Raw Sugar (3 Tbsp) together and sprinkle generously over the chilled creme brulee. Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until it forms a hard, crispy surface. To get even caramelization, lightly dab any excess water off of the top of the creme brulee before sprinkling on the sugar.