Bubble Tea Crème Brûlée

Have your bubble tea in a different way with this bubble tea crème brûlée - creamy milk tea custard under a layer of crunchy caramelized sugar and topped with tapioca pearls in brown sugar syrup.

📝 Ingredients

• 480 ml whipping cream
• 4 hojicha or black tea bags
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 whole large egg
• 50 g brown sugar
• 30 g granulated sugar (for topping)
• 100 g tapioca pearls
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Milk Tea Crème Brûlée ---
2. 2Preheat oven to 325°F and place ramekins on top of a large baking tray. Set aside.
3. 3In a small pot, heat whipping cream until just before it comes to a simmer. Add in the tea bags, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to press the tea bags against the side of the pot to squeeze out all the tea-infused liquid inside before discarding. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
4. 4In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar. Slowly pour the hot tea-infused cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
5. 5Divide this mixture into your ramekins. Use a paper towel to dab away any large air bubbles on the surface. Place the entire tray (with the ramekins on top) into the oven and then pour enough hot water into the tray until it submerges about half the height of the ramekins. Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the crème brûlees reaches 170°F. The edges should be set but the middle should still be quite jiggly.
6. 6Let the ramekins cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. 7--- Tapioca Pearls ---
8. 8In a small pot, bring about 3" of water to a boil. Pour in the tapioca pearls and give it a stir immediately. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes. Then, remove from heat, cover, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
9. 9Strain the pearls, discard the water, and stir in the brown sugar while it’s still warm until it dissolves into a syrup.
10. 10Sprinkle the surface of each crème brûlée with a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar by moving across the surface without staying in the same spot for too long. Once the sugar hardens, add a heaping spoonful of tapioca pearls on top of each crème brûlée right before serving.