Milk Tea Bread Pudding With Crème Anglaise
Milk Tea is a delicious result of Hong Kong’s melting pot history. Chinese tea- drinking rarely involves dairy, but the British influence in Hong Kong has given us this magical elixir made from very strong black tea and sweetened condensed milk. Both sweet, bitter and creamy and SO SO good, it’s very drinkable on its own (and with the now very common and fun addition of boba or tapioca pearls) and makes an equally delicious base for this recipe. The bitter notes cut thru the richness and result in a dessert that’s just the right amount of sweet. (‘So delicious! Not too sweet.’ was the ultimate dessert-compliment from my Grandma) For a quick vanilla crème anglaise—its sounds fancy but guess what—it’s ice cream! That’s essentially what crème anglaise is but in frozen form. The trick is to use a high-quality ice cream or gelato (do not use any types with stabilizers like guar gum) and to gently melt it on the stove.
Find this recipe on Bon Appétit.
Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 1 lb brioche loaf, torn into large irregular pieces
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2½ cups half-and-half
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 black tea bags (such as English breakfast)
4 large egg yolks
1 large egg
Unsalted butter (for pan)
¾ cup golden raisins
1 pint vanilla bean ice cream or gelato
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
1 20 oz can lychees, drained, halved (optional)
METHOD
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 300°. Spread out brioche on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing halfway through and reducing oven temperature if browning too fast, until brioche is very dry and lightly toasted, 25–35 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, bring condensed milk and half-and-half to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Add tea bags and let sit 25 minutes. Remove tea bags from pan, wringing them out over pan; discard tea bags. Whisk egg yolks and egg into tea mixture until incorporated.
Increase oven temperature to 350°. Butter a 13x9" baking dish. Arrange brioche in an even layer in baking dish and scatter raisins on top. Pour custard mixture over; toss brioche to coat, then press down lightly to partially submerge. Let sit 20 minutes to give brioche time to soak up custard.
Bake bread pudding until golden brown and custard is puffed and just set (it should barely jiggle when gently shaken), 35–40 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, heat ice cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and just warmed through (do not simmer), 5–8 minutes. Transfer crème anglaise to a small pitcher or bowl.
Dust bread pudding with powdered sugar, then cut into squares and divide among plates. Drizzle crème anglaise over and arrange lychees around if desired. Serve remaining crème anglaise alongside.