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    Home » Recipes » Sweets

    Hojicha Crème Brûlée

    Published: Oct 16, 2020 Modified: Oct 16, 2020 by Candice

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Spoon with custard and creme brulee sugar topping leaning on a ramekin with title text.
    Top view of creme brulee on a spoon resting on a ramekin with title text.
    Close up inside a ramekin filled with cracked sugar and creme brulee.
    Four cooked creme brulee ramekins with title text.
    Pouring hot water into a roasting pan with two ramekins filled with creme brulee.
    Close up inside a ramekin filled with cracked sugar and creme brulee.
    Top view of creme brulee on a spoon resting on a ramekin with title text.

    Hojicha is a Japanese Roasted Green Tea that almost coffee-like in taste. I love using it in desserts, especially this 5-Ingredient Hojicha Crème Brûlée.

    Spoon with custard and creme brulee sugar topping leaning on a ramekin.

    Step-by-Step Recipe

    Tea, yolks, vanilla, cream, and sugar on a white countertop.

    You will need the following ingredients: heavy cream, egg yolks, hojicha tea, vanilla or vanilla extract, and caster sugar. (Affiliate links open in a new tab.)

    You will also need the following equipment (links open in new tab):

    • Torch or Oven Broiler
    • Whisk
    • Ramekins
    • Deep sided roasting pan

    Heat the oven to 320°F.

    Pot with a rubber spatula filled with tea and cream.

    Slice the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and put the seeds and bean in a saucepan with the cream, OR add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Also add the tea.

    Bring to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and remove the vanilla pod. Cover and let the tea steep for 15 minutes.

    Egg yolks whisked until pale yellow with sugar.

    Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy in a bowl you can use in a bain-marie (glass bowl that fits over a sauce pan filled with simmering water without shattering).

    Pouring tea and cream through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.

    Strain the tea out of the cream and add it to the egg yolk and sugar mixture.

    Over a bain-marie, heat the cream mixture stirring constantly until it coats the back of a spoon (170°F), ~8 minutes.

    Two ramekins in a roasting pan with hot water next to four cooked creme brulee ramekins.

    Then, divide the mixture between 4 ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tin. Fill the tin half-full with boiling water. Place it in the oven and cook 20 minutes.

    Next, remove from the oven. Remove from the water to stop them from continuing to cook. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and cool overnight.

    To Serve

    Before serving allow the crème to come to room temperature for 20 minutes before you brûlée the tops. This helps the sugar melt evenly as you torch the tops. 

    Close up inside a ramekin filled with cracked sugar and creme brulee.

    If you have a brûlée torch, add a covered layer of fine caster sugar and shake off the excess into the next ramekin. Gently move the flame around to evenly melt the sugar.

    If you do not have a torch, heat the broiler to high. Add a covered layer of icing sugar and shake off the excess into the next ramekin. Then, place under the grill. WATCH CAREFULLY! Let cool before serving.

    Note: Caster sugar is the sugar of choice for crème brûlée because it is fine and will melt more evenly than coarse sugar. If you do not have caster sugar, you can run granulated sugar in a food processor to break it down.

    Spoon with a bite of creme brulee leaning on a ramekin.

    More Crème Brûlée

    I love enjoying unsweetened, simple hojicha tea and discovered it on our trip to Japan. I've been infusing it in desserts ever since. Hojicha Gelato is hubby's favorite ice cream flavor, and I even made a dairy-free Hojicha Coconut Ice Cream because we love it so much.

    This Hojicha Crème Brûlée is spectacular, and I can't wait for you to try it. Here are some other tea-infused crème brûlée recipes I think you'll be interested in:

    • Matcha Crème Brûlée
    • London Fog (Earl Grey) Crème Brûlée

    Or peruse all my favorite sweets and desserts here.

    ★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★

    You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I am up to. (Links to social media open in new tab.)

    Top view of creme brulee on a spoon resting on a ramekin.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Hojicha Crème Brûlée

    Hojicha is a Japanese Roasted Green Tea that almost coffee-like in taste. I love using it in desserts, especially this Hojicha Crème Brûlée.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Resting Time4 hrs
    Total Time4 hrs 35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, French, Japanese
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 424kcal
    Author: Candice

    Equipment

    • Torch or Broiler
    • Whisk
    • Ramekins
    • Deep sided roasting pan

    Ingredients

    • 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 15 g loose leaf hojicha tea or 3 tea bags
    • 375 mL heavy cream
    • 5 room temperature egg yolks
    • 25 g caster sugar plus more for the brulee top

    Instructions

    • Slice the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and put the seeds and bean in a saucepan with the cream, OR add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Also add the tea.
    • Bring to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and remove the vanilla pod. Cover and let the tea steep for 15 minutes.
    • Heat the oven to 320°F.
    • Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy in a bowl you can use in a bain-marie (glass bowl that fits over a sauce pan filled with simmering water).
    • Strain the tea out of the cream and add it to the egg yolk and sugar mixture.
    • Over a bain-marie, heat the cream mixture stirring constantly until it coats the back of a spoon (170°F), ~8 minutes.
    • Divide the mixture between 4 ramekins.
    • Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tin. Fill the tin half-full with boiling water. Place it in the oven and cook 20 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven. Remove from the water to stop them from continuing to cook. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and cool a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
    • When ready to serve, take them out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving so they come to room temperature.
    • BRULEE: If you have a brûlée torch, add a covered layer of fine caster sugar and shake off the excess into the next ramekin. Gently move the flame around to evenly melt the sugar. If you do not have a torch, heat the broiler to high. Add a covered layer of icing sugar and shake off the excess into the next ramekin. Then, place under the grill. WATCH CAREFULLY! Let cool before serving.

    Notes

    Before serving allow the crème to come to room temperature for 20 minutes before you brûlée the tops. This helps the sugar melt evenly as you torch the tops. 
    Caster sugar is the sugar of choice for crème brûlée because it is fine and will melt more evenly than coarse sugar. If you do not have caster sugar, you can run granulated sugar in a food processor to break it down.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 373mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 95mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1703IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you try this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and/or comment! And tag @ProportionalPlate on TikTok or Instagram... I'd love to see what you're making.
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    1. Salima

      October 16, 2020 at 2:05 pm

      5 stars
      Seriously addicted to all of the Proportional Plate creme brûlée recipes! So delicious and creative.

      Reply
      • Candice

        October 16, 2020 at 3:32 pm

        Thank you, Salima!! So glad you like them 🙂

        Reply

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    Meet Candice

    On this blog, I get to share the food that I love, and get to enjoy in my own home. My Persian Jewish heritage influences most of my recipes, and my travels inspire them. And I'm sure you'll notice my love for everything matcha. Welcome, and enjoy!

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