Chai Spiced Flan
Chai Spiced Flan is a dessert that fills the traditional caramel-flavored custard with chai spices. This culinary creation is a twist on the classic Spanish flan, mixing spices commonly found in chai tea—cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and fennel seeds. This mixing of cuisines offers a delightful cross-cultural dessert experience, serving up to 6 people. The process involves boiling whole milk and heavy cream with these spices to infuse the mixture, then blending it with eggs and sugars to create the custard base. The flan is baked in a water bath until just set. Topped with a deep amber caramel, Chai Spiced Flan presents a taste with the caramel's sweetness perfectly balancing spices.
- 1½ cup Whole Milk
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 10 Cardamom Pods
- 6 Whole Cloves
- 4 qt Slices Peeled Fresh Ginger
- 2 inch Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs Plus
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- ½ cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- Spice Infusion:
Begin by boiling the milk, cream, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and fennel seeds in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. After putting the pan's lid on and turning off the heat, steep for 20 minutes.
- Preparation Stage:
Set the oven to 350°F, or 180°C. Transfer six custard cups or ramekins, measuring ⅔ cup (5-fl oz/160-ml) or ¾ cup (6-fl oz/180-ml), to a large roasting pan. Position a fine-mesh sieve on top of a sizable measuring glass. Boil some water in a kettle.
- Caramel Symphony:
In a separate saucepan, mix granulated sugar with water over a gentle heat until dissolved. Turn on the flame to medium-high, letting the mixture change into a deep amber, stirring the pan for even coloring. Pour this liquid into your custard cups.
- Custard Creation:
Whisk eggs and yolks in a bowl. Reheat the spiced milk to a mixer, then put eggs, whisking to blend. Rinsing this liquid into the prepared cups, dissolving brown sugar and a pinch of salt into the mixer.
- Water Bath:
Share the custard among the cups, then pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, setting the stage.
- Oven Alchemy:
Bake until the custards are just set, about 30 minutes. With care, lift the ramekins to a wire rack to cool.
- The Unveiling:
After chilling for a minimum of 3 hours, trace a knife around custard's edge. Overturn onto plates.
