3 Super Fly Chai-Flavored Dessert Recipes

by Soni Satpathy-Singh

This post was originally published on our partner website India.com.

chai

Spicy, milky chai has become popular the world over, and is no longer resigned to Eastern tea drinkers alone. In particular, the American culinary industry has spawned spin-offs of our beloved drink, using spices commonly found in chai to infuse and punctuate numerous pastries.

[Read Related: A Hearty Homage to ‘Brown Sugar’]

chaiBelow, we share three of our favorite chai-inspired recipes which promise to take your chai-making and baking to the next level!

CHAI CUSTARD

chai

Ingredients

Makes: Six “3/4 cups” servings of custard 

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 8 whole cardamom pods, crushed
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 3 1/4-inch-thick rounds of peeled fresh ginger
  • freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 teaspoons)
  • 2 tablespoons loose Orange Pekoe tea
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
How to Throw Down:

Place whipping cream, whole milk, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, crushed cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add tea leaves.  Cover and steep for 5 minutes to develop flavor. Strain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in a big enough metal baking pan that will comfortably hold all. Set aside.

Place egg yolks and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk. Gradually whisk in the cream-chai mixture to make the custard. Evenly distribute custard amongst 6 cups/ramekins.

To make a water bath for the baking process, pour hot water into baking pan; make sure it comes halfway up sides of cups/ramekins. Cover the baking pan with foil; pierce the foil in several places with a skewer to allow steam to escape.

Bake custard until softly set, about 30 minutes.

Remove custards from water. Cool on rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

CHAI CHEESECAKE

chai

Makes: One 10-inch pie

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

  • 1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream
  • 3 green cardamoms, crushed
  • 1 small cinnamon stick, crushed
  • 6 black tea bags
  • 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • ¼ teaspoon clove powder
  • 3 large eggs
How to Throw Down:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 10-inch pan. Wrap the OUTSIDE of the pan’s bottom with foil to prevent any leaking. Spray the inside bottom and side of pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, and butter and mix. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan, packing tightly. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Cool crust completely.

Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium heat, bring whipping cream, cardamom, and cinnamon to a boil; place tea bags in pot, remove from heat/flame and steep for 5 to 6 minutes. Cool completely, leaving teabags in.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, and clove powder until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended.

Remove tea bags from cream and squeeze extra liquid from tea bags; discard bags. Strain cream of cardamom and cinnamon pieces and add to the cream cheese mixture until well blended. Pour filling over crust.

Bake at 300°F for 1 hour.  Turn off oven. Leave cheesecake in oven for 30 minutes thereafter.

Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or for best results, overnight.

To serve, cut pie into even pieces and garnish with a cocoa and cinnamon powder and a dollop whipped cream.

[Read Related: 3 ‘Thums Up’ Inspired Sweet Treat Recipes]

CHAI MASALA CUPCAKES & SPICED FROSTING

chai

Makes: One dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 stick or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups white cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon fennel powder
  • 2/3 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 tablespoon finely minced or grated ginger (squeeze juice and use as well)

Frosting

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 12 candied ginger pieces OR cinnamon sticks (optional)
How to Throw Down:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tin/cups with paper lining. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine dry items: flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, salt, nutmeg powder, and fennel powder.

Gradually add dry mixture to creamed mixture; add milk and ginger and mix.

Fill lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Note: Do NOT apply frosting until cupcakes are completely cooled!)

For the frosting: Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter until fluffy; mix in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, cinnamon powder, and ginger powder and beat to combine. (Note: Do NOT add all the milk at once. Add 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency.)

Pipe frosting over cupcakes. Garnish with candied ginger or cinnamon (optional).


soni satpathy, sketchy desiSoni Satpathy-Singh is a recipe writer and developer who resides in Manhattan. She is either always cooking or eating be it for work or simply because she loves to! She is currently working on her own comic cookbook.To see more of Sketchy Desi’s work, visit facebook.com/sketchydesi/ or stay tuned for upcoming posts on Brown Girl Magazine.

By Brown Girl Magazine

Brown Girl Magazine was created by and for South Asian womxn who believe in the power of storytelling as a … Read more ›

5 Indo Caribbean Food Experts you Need to Know This Winter Season

trinidad curry
Curried Chicken with Roti Parata or Roti, popular Middle Eastern/Indian cuisine

It is officially that time of year—the holiday season. There’s nothing like Christmas and New Year’s in the West Indies. Between the pepperpot in Guyana and the palm trees decorated in lights in Trinidad, the home food, warm weather and laid-back ambiance makes us wish we could escape the cold and head back to the Caribbean. Most of us, however, cannot “take holiday” and find ourselves hungry for fresh dhal puri and doubles. But, thanks to these Indo-Caribbean food bloggers, we can bring the motherland to our kitchens.

1. Matthew’s Guyanese Cooking

From Diwali mithai specialties to curry chicken, Matthew is creating a name for himself as a young Guyanese food blogger. He makes a great effort to incorporate Hindu holidays and traditions on his Instagram account, in conjunction with the customary foods and sweets associated with these religious events. However, his expertise does not end there, with new and alternative recipes for classic dishes such as curry chicken and bhara, Matthew takes center stage sharing both traditional Guyanese dishes as well as specific religious dishes made for festivals. His most popular YouTube video, with 1.4 million views, features his grandmother and focuses on the best tips to make the softest Guyanese paratha roti. In addition, his YouTube account is home to many videos offering guidance to Indo Caribbean cooking. Find recipes at @mattews.guyanese.cooking

2. Trini Cooking with Natasha

Natasha Laggan of Trini Cooking with Natasha is wildly popular throughout the Caribbean and the U.S. With humble beginnings, Natasha credits her love of food to her family’s business. She speaks of the nostalgia home food provides her as she reminisces memories of her grandmother’s cooking and helping her mother make sandwiches early in the morning. Featured by Forbes, Natasha grew her Facebook following quickly throughout the pandemic by posting old YouTube videos. Today, she has more than 1 million followers on Facebook and over 200K followers on YouTube. She uses her passion for cooking and Trinidadian culture to bring easy-to-follow recipes to viewers. Her following has now reached the West Indian diaspora globally as she has also become a brand ambassador to two well-known food companies.  Follow the food expert @trinicookingwithnatasha.

[Read Related: 5 Indo-Caribbean Recipes for the Holiday Season you Have to Make]

3. Cooking with Ria

With over 100K followers on YouTube, Ria is quite the expert when it comes to making roti. Her dhal puri, sada roti and paratha roti tutorials have over 1M views! However, her expertise does not stop there. Of the 180 YouTube tutorials, her recipes vary from curry to other Trinidadian favorites like macaroni pie and pigtail soup. Just scrolling through her YouTube page makes your mouth water. From doubles to classic Trinidad bakes like pound cake and sweet bread, she provides precision and anecdotal commentary while guiding you through the familiarity of home food. Check out Ria’s page at @cookingwithria.

 

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4. Chef Devan

Known as Chef Devan, Devan Rajkumar embraces his Guyanese Canadian heritage by creating recipes combining flavors of both the East and West Indies. His love of food has allowed him to expand his role to judge in a popular Canadian cooking show: Food Network Canada’s Fire Masters. His cooking often blends the flavors of multiple cultures but also creates the classic recipes of his motherland. With a multitude of interests, Chef Dev uses his social media platform to connect with followers by sharing various aspects of his life that go beyond cooking. His most recent YouTube video provides a trailer for an upcoming video “Tastes Guyana” which shows him exploring Guyana from the inside, specifically deep parts of the inner country. To learn more about Chef Devan follow @chefdevan.

 

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5. Taste of Trinbago

Reshmi is the chef behind the growing blog, Taste of Trinbago. A Trinidadian native who now resides in Texas, she uses her love of food and Trinidadian culture to share hacks, tips and easy recipes with West Indians throughout the globe. She finds a way to simplify traditional West Indian meals, that we once watched our elders make with curiosity.  From holiday specialties like black cake to Diwali delicacies, Reshmi has brought vegetarian and non-veg recipes to followers in an extremely accessible way. She even posts recipe cards on her IG highlights for followers who may need written instructions. Her IG profile is a mix of various West Indian foods while also sharing bits of her life and even her secrets to baby food. Follow her @tasteoftrinbago.

 

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These are just five Indo Caribbean food bloggers sharing their secrets to easy cooking. The once very daunting recipes and food instructions our parents gave have been simplified by most of these bloggers through video, voice over and modernized recipes. We no longer have to estimate a “dash, pinch or tuk” of any masala. We are just days away from Christmas and this is the perfect time to find the best-suited recipe to make that paratha for Santa.

Featured Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

By Subrina Singh

Subrina Singh holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Asian & Asian American Studies from Stony Brook University and a Master’s Degree … Read more ›