This luscious dessert is made with a biscuit crumb, proper spiced custard and ginger syrup.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
Apple base:
- 5 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced chunky
- 3 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- pinch sea salt
Crumble (with a nod to home):
- 100g self-raising flour
- 50g crushed Parle-G biscuits (or digestives / tea biscuits)
- 100g cold butter, cubed
- 50g jaggery or demerara sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Chai-custard:
- 150ml whole milk
- 150ml cream
- 2 tsp loose leaf black tea or 1 black tea bag
- Spices: 2 smashed green cardamom pods, 1 smashed black cardamom, 1 clove, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds, 1 pinch nutmeg
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 50g sugar
To finish:
- 2 tbsp ginger syrup (from jarred stem ginger)
- Pouring cream for the final indulgent wave
- Freshly grated nutmeg, for swagger
Method
- Stew the apples.
Add apples, sugar vanilla and salt and a good splash of water to a pot. Cook till soft but holding shape. Spoon into baking dish. - Make the crumble.
Rub flour, crushed biscuits and butter to breadcrumb texture. Stir in sugar and ginger. - Bake.
Scatter crumble over the stewed apple. Bake 180 °C for 25 min till golden and bubbling. - Brew the chai.
Meanwhile, simmer milk with tea and spices for 5 min. Strain - the kitchen smells like warmth. - Make the custard.
Whisk yolks, sugar, cornflour. Slowly pour in hot chai, whisking. Return to pan, stir till thickened. - Serve with drama.
Spoon hot crumble into bowls, drizzle with ginger syrup, pour over the chai custard, then a generous lick of cold cream on top. Finish with a grating of nutmeg - punk luxury.
Tips
- Simply buy Chai tea bags if don't have the spices to hand
- You can make custard using the powder and simply add a chai tea bag as you pour in the hot water, stir, allow to steep a for a min or two – remove before serving!
- If making as above, you can avoid lumps by simply straining when done through a fine sieve, then cover with cling film touching the surface to avoid a skin forming.
