Hello all! Sorry for the radio silence for the past two weeks. I needed to take some time for myself and step away from the blog for awhile to get those creative juices flowing again. I think it’s really important to take some time for yourself, so you can recenter. Recently, I’ve learned a lot about self love and self care which really boils down to – let yourself breathe a little bit. Oftentimes, we try to do so much that we keep piling on and on until it just overwhelms us. But now I’m back, totally refreshed, and I got one hell of a matcha creme brulee recipe for you.
While away, I got a new perspective on my blog. I wanted to have a clear north star for my content, so I could really tell you guys a cohesive story. Food is so personal to me, so I think it’s only right that my food reflects my story. So I decided going forward I would cook food that is very true to my experience as an Asian American in the US. The food that is most inspiring to me is food with an Asian twist…so that could be something like Korean tacos or Thai meatballs. Going forward, I want to fuse my Asian upbringing with the American influences I encountered growing up. However, this doesn’t mean I won’t throw in a good old fashion American cheeseburger once in awhile. =P
My Matcha Obsession
The first recipe from this new direction for Cooking Therapy is my Matcha Creme Brulee. This is a recipe I have been DYING to make. Matcha has been a new obsession for me. I got a big bag of matcha powder from Chinatown, and my friend was like “You drink that much tea?” I said, “What you talkin’ about? I’m going to bake with it!” While I’m sure matcha tea is great, I just love thinking up matcha desserts. Matcha has a bitterness that balances out the sugar in desserts really well.
Unclumping the Matcha Powder
This matcha creme brulee recipe was a true labor of love. It took me 3 iterations to complete. The main problem I had was the matcha kept clumping up in the mixture, so the resulting creme brulee had small clumps of matcha. It was super gross. I finally figured out the trick to a smooth creme brulee mixture. You have to sift the matcha powder into the cream while it’s heating up, and then whisk like your life depends on it. You want the matcha powder to dissolve into the cream.
Tempering your egg is the key to the perfect matcha creme brulee
The most common mistake I see is accidentally cooking the eggs which is what you don’t want. The key is to temper the egg/sugar mixture with some of the warm cream before pouring it into the cream. What this means is you’re raising the temperature of the egg/sugar mixture, so the eggs don’t cook when you pour it into the cream. To temper your eggs, pour a little bit of the cream into the egg mixture and stir until it is well incorporated into the egg mixture. After incorporated, pour it into the cream.
This matcha creme brulee recipe is perhaps one of my favorite recipe creations. The matcha goes so well with the basic creme brulee ingredients. It’s sweet but a little bitter at the same time. I can’t wait to make this for every single person in my life.
Did you make this Matcha Creme Brulee?
If you made this matcha favorite of mine, I would love to see!
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Matcha Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Add the cream to a small sauce pan over low medium heat. Gradually sift the matcha powder into the cream and whisk like your life depends on it. After whisking in the matcha, add your vanilla extract. Be careful not to overheat the cream. Once the cream starts emitting a little smoke, it's done. Turn off your heat.
- Use another whisk to break down your egg yolks. Pour in the sugar and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add a little bit of the heated cream to your egg and sugar mixture to temper it. Stir a few times and pour into the cream. Mix until everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Ladle the creme brulee mixture into 4 ramekins and place them in a 9x9 baking dish. Pour the hot water into the baking dish.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Take the creme brulee out at 30 minutes to check if it's done. It should jiggle a little bit in the middle. If it jiggles a lot, leave it in for 1-2 more minutes before checking again.
- Cool for 2 hours at room temperature and at least another 2 hours in the refrigerator. You can refrigerate up to several days.
- Add a thin layer of sugar over the top. Shake off any excess. Use a torch to melt the sugar and create a solid layer over the top. You can also put it in broiler to achieve the same result.
Nutrition
4.9K
Really easy to make and the flavor is amazing!
Thank you so much Sandra!!!
I used this to makeMango Hojicha Creme Brulee! I learned that you should only torch right before serving or the sugar crisp will go soggy.
The depth of flavour really came through with fruitiness from the mango and roastiness from the Hojicha. The consistency was thick and creamy. The sugar crisp, when eaten fresh, was a great texture contrast – sweet and caramelized.
The key is to slowly temper the egg yolks, or you’ll end up cooking them before baking – a scrambly mess. I was nervous about the idea, but it was super straightforward.
Thank you so much for making them and for the mango hojicha twist! I have to try that flavor combination for myself. And yes tempering the eggs is sooo important. I’ve cooked my eggs more than a few times. So glad you got the hang of it!