How’s your 2016 so far? Hopefully still full of plans to treat yourself here and there with some tasty sweets, right? Good! Because I have a new recipe that uses one of my faves: matcha!
You have probably seen matcha make guest appearances at several bakeries and cafes in the shape of cookies, lattes, macarons, and in its pure tea form. For this recipe we are pairing it with yet another French staple, the crème brûlée. Add white chocolate for extra creaminess and some pistachio and lemon for a crunch factor and you got yourself a new revamped classic.
This recipe is on the middle of the scale of “matchaness”, meaning, it’s just right. Feel free to change the amount of matcha according to your liking, some people just like a hint of it, some like it to be as strong as possible.
If you are making this recipe for a dinner party or for a date night, you can prepare the whole thing a few days in advance and torch the sugar (to get the famous crackling crust) the day of. I don’t recommend torching the crème brûlée in advance as the sugar will liquefy in the fridge and you’ll end up with a flan – also another fave – but not a crème brûlée.
Ok, get your torch on and let’s make a batch!
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream + more to dissolve matcha
- 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup white chocolate (chopped or chips)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat about 3 cups of water in a kettle and keep water warm on low heat (you'll need it later for baking).
- Dissolve the matcha in a small bowl using some cream (about 2 tablespoons will do). Make sure to whisk vigorously to avoid any lumps. Now place the 2 cups of cream, vanilla, sugar, 1/3 cup of chocolate, and salt in a small pot over medium heat and stir to incorporate. Heat until barely simmering (and until chocolate has melted). Remove from heat and cool down for a few minutes (5 minutes max).
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs, then scoop some of the warm matcha cream into the eggs to temper them, then slowly add the rest of the matcha cream while whisking. Whisky until combined.
- Prepare 4 oven-proof ramekins and a roasting pan or baking dish that's deep enough to fit the ramekins. Pour equal amounts of matcha cream in the ramekins and place them in the roasting pan. Now CAREFULLY pour the hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan making sure it gets 1/2 way through the ramekins. Avoid spilling any water into the matcha cream. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until matcha cream has set (tap roasting pan to test them). Remove from the oven and completely cool. When cold, place in the fridge.
- To make the crumble, place the pistachios, 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, lemon zest, and salt and pulse it in a blender or food processor until crumbly.
- To assemble the creme brulee: sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of sugar over the brulee, tap it and rotate to distribute the sugar evenly. Using a torch, melt the sugar to form crust (or place it under your broiler and rotate to get the same effect). When top hardens, sprinkle some of the crumble and serve.
Hope you enjoy it! Until next time 🙂
Hi Gabriel, I’m keen to try this recipe. Just wondering what size your ramekins are? Thanks, Sophie
Hi Sophie!
These are about 4oz ramekins (pretty standard). They are the shallow ones but you can use any other kind you like too! As long as they are oven proof. Enjoy!