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Chai Pots de creme

From Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness

serves 6

As a young teenager I spent many afternoons baking with our neighbor next door. Armed with my great love for sweets and baking skills newly acquired from my mother (who had quite a reputation as a baker), we experimented with many recipes. Some were disasters, but this recipe was one of our great successes. Spicy, creamy, and delicate, this sweet works especially well as an ending to an Indian meal; the subtle play of its sweet spice complements highly aromatic savory dishes.

Custard:
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon loose Darjeeling or Early Grey tea
A 1-inch piece cinnamon stick, broken in half
6 green cardamom pods, pounded in a mortar and pestle just to break open the shells
5 whole cloves
A 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
4 black peppercorns
3 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
zest of 1 lemon

Whipped Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
4 teaspoons of granulated sugar (or 1 tablespoon, if not using garam masala)
1/8 teaspoon garam masala

Directions:
For the custard, combine the cream, half-and-half, tea, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let steep 15 minutes.

Preheat over to 325 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with a dish towel. Place six 6-ounce ramekins in the baking dish and set aside.

Combine egg yolks, whole egg, sugars, and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until the mixture has thickened and leaves a ribbon trail when you lift the beaters from the bowl, about 2 minutes.

Strain the spice-infused cream into a medium bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the warm cream into the egg mixture and mix to combine.

Carefully divide the custard among the six ramekins and put the baking dish in the oven. Use a cup to pour enough hot tap water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and punch several holes in the foil to allow the steam to escape. Bake until the custards are just set and the centers still jiggle when shaken, about 30 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the hot water and let cool on a rack. (Turn off the oven and let the water in the baking dish cool before removing it from the oven.) Then chill until completely cold.

For the spiced whipped cream, beat the whipping cream with the sugar and garam masala, if using, in a medium bowl to soft peaks. Spoon a dollop of this spiced cream on top of each chilled custard and serve.

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Briks

From The Moroccan Collection by Hilaire Walden

Briks (pronounced breeks) are ouarka turnovers that originate in Tunisia. The Pieds Noirs, or Blackfeet (Europeans born in Maghreb), were responsible for spreading their popularity throughout North Africa. Traditionally briks are deep-fried and are served immediately or they become heavy and greasy. They can be baked however.

Ingredients:
about 8 oz. filo pastry, thawed
olive oil for brushing
sesame seeds for sprinkling

Filling:
1/3 cup olives (black, green, or a mixture of both), pitted
3 anchovy fillets
3 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped almonds
2 tablespoons chopped mixed cilantro and parsley
3 soft-boiled eggs, chopped
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
pepper

Directions:
1. To make the filling, finely chop the olives and anchovy fillets together, then mix them with the tomatoes, almonds, mixed cilantro and parsley, eggs, and lemon juice. Season with pepper.

2. Cut the pastry into 4-by-10 inch strips. Work wtih 3 or 4 strips at a time; keeping the remaining pastry covered with plastic wrap.

3. Brush the strips lightly with oil and put a heaped teaspoon of the filling at the top of the right-hand corner of each one. Fold the corner down to make a triangle. Continue folding the triangle along the length of each strip. Place on a baking sheet and brush with oil. Repeat until all the filling has been used.

4. Sprinkle the briks with sesame seeds and bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for about 20 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Serve hot or warm.

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Spiced Chickpeas

From The Moroccan Collection by Hilaire Walden

Moroccans are inveterate snackers, masters at producing a myriad of nibbles throughout the day. Deep-fried spiced dried fava beans are a particular specialty, but because it is so much easier for us to get chickpeas, I am giving a recipe using them. Baking is more in line with modern eating and cooking, so I have modified the traditional method.

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 plump garlic cloves, crushed
paprika and ground cumin, for sprinkling
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet. Mix the oil with the garlic and pour over the chickpeas, stirring everything together.

2. Transfer the baking sheet to a preheated 400 degree F. oven and cook the chickpeas for about 15 minutes, stirring them occasionally so they cook evenly.

3. Tip the chickpeas onto papertowels to dry them, then toss while still warm with paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper. Eat while warm or store in an airtight jar in a cool place for up to two weeks.

Serves 2-4.