MATCHA CUSTARD

It's remarkable how many times I change a dessert when menu planning. What began as chocolate cupcakes with ginger sabayon morphed three times until it ended up as mossy green ramekins of matcha custard. I love the herbal note to end a meal, it feels complete. 

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 1/2 cup Almond Milk
• 2 tablespoons Matcha Green Tea Powder
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract)
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

GET BUSY

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6 ramekins or one large casserole dish set on top of a dish towel in a large baking pan (more on this later).
2. In a sauce pan combine the coconut milk, almond milk, matcha, and vanilla bean scrapings over low heat. Whisk until the matcha is incorporated into the milk (no clumps allowed)
3. Fill a tea kettle or another sauce pan with water and bring it to a boil. You’ll need this later.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt until pale yellow and slightly thickened.
5. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and drizzle it slowly into the egg mixture, whisking all the time. If you pour too quickly you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. 
6. Pour the custard base through a strainer and then ladle it into each ramekin, roughly 2/3 cup per dish. Set the filled ramekins on top of the towel in the baking pan. The towel helps to prevent burnt bottoms.
7. Slide the baking pan into your oven and then pour the simmering water in the pan, around the ramekins. Be careful to keep the water out of the ramekins and fill the baking pan until the water is about 2/3 up the ramekins. This will help evenly bake the custards.
8. Bake the custard for 28-32 minutes or until the custard is gently set. It should tremble ever so slightly when you give it a tap on the side.
9. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow them to cool for an hour on a rack. Then cover them tightly with plastic wrap and set them in the fridge to chill.