Recipes

It’s Valentines day tomorrow, and if you are planning something special for your S.O. or family at home to avoid the usual Valentines day traffic, we’ve got a recipe that we think they’ll love, and you’ll have a fun and easy time making.

Our favorite part is the caramelized top.

This faux Crème Brûlée is a dessert recipe that requires no baking whatsoever (which is what makes it fake Crème Brûlée). Instead, we make a soft-set milk tea pudding then brûlée to create a similar taste and effect of the french dessert. Just make sure that the pudding has set in the fridge before you begin to torch the sugar on top; we set it at at least 4 hours to make sure it is well-chilled.

Milk Tea Pudding

Serves: 4 people
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special tools: kitchen torch

Pudding

2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup milk tea powder
3 tbsp. cornstarch
2 ¼ cup milk
2 tbsp. butter

Topping

4 tbsp. sugar

In a large pot over low-medium heat, add sugar, milk tea powder, and cornstarch.
Whisk until combined, then whisk while slowly pouring in milk.
Cook mixture for 5 minutes or until extremely thick but not curdled.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
Divide equally between small dishes or ramekins.
Let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours, until well chilled and set.
Evenly sprinkle 1 tbsp. of sugar over each serving of pudding in a thin layer.
Using a kitchen torch, brûlée the sugar until brown.
Return pudding back to the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Bea Osmeña SEE AUTHOR Bea Osmeña

Bea Osmeña is a healthy-ish eater who is just as likely to take you to a vegan joint as she is to consume a whole cheese pie to herself. A former picky eater, Bea has discovered the joys of savory fruit dishes, but still refuses to accept pineapples on her pizza. On the rare occasion you catch her without food in her mouth, you are likely to find her looking at books she can't afford, hugging trees, or talking to strange animals on the street.