Lavender Green Tea Crème Brûlée

Today I was struck with the sudden urge to make dessert. My roommates birthday is coming up on Tuesday and I was deciding what cupcakes to make her. After about 5 minutes of arguing with Dave, I got REALLY frustrated, and decided I didn't want to make dessert at all. Then, as I got up to get a glass of water, it struck me...crème brûlée...it's so easy. 


Last night at taste by niche I asked the bartender to make me a cocktail with something infused with tea. He said "Oh...I have the perfect thing in mind." He comes back about 5 minutes later with a "Jasmine Vine":  jasmine tea infused-gin, maraschino cherry, creme de cassis, and grapefruit bitters. IT WAS AMAZING OMG. Probably one of the best cocktails I've ever had...and it was made especially for me. By Franklin. :) That's not his name, but oh well, I'll definitely be going back, so I have enough time to figure it out. 

Around finals time, I get really nostalgic for home, and I start to miss my family and friends a whole lot. One of my best friends from home, kb, really really loves crème brûlée, and one night when we went out to dinner we got it for dessert and it came out flaming, so I tried to recreate that, but didn't really succeed. However, what I did end up with, was an amazing little lavender green tea crème brûlée. Delicious and easy! 

Lavender Green Tea Crème Brûlée
yields: 5 mini-tarts or small ramekins worth
now playing: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
now serving: Francis Ford Coppola Tempranillo
inspired by the "Jasmine Vine" cocktail I had last night at taste by niche


Ingredients:
1 pint heavy cream
3 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean (pod and seeds)
1 teaspoon lavender buds
1 tablespoon green tea
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
garnish: blackberries and candied orange peel
optional: flaming crème brûlée...you'll see


Preheat oven to 325℉
1. Slice vanilla bean in half, and add pod and beans (scraped out of pod) to the heavy cream, along with the green tea and the lavender. Heat heavy cream mixture on medium heat until boiling. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat, cover, and set aside for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
2. Whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar until incorporated. 
3. Strain heavy cream mixture onto egg yolks to create a custard-like consistency. Pour into ramekins/vessel and put into a shallow pan with enough hot water to come up half the cooking vessel.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the custard sets. You might need to adjust the baking time. 
5. Remove from oven and refrigerate for about 3 hours until firm. 
6. Once cool, add enough brown sugar to the tops to cover, and then brûlée until caramelized. Enjoy!