Lavender-Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

2. Bring the cream, salt and ½ cup sugar to a boil, stirring to keep the bottom from scalding.

3. Remove cream from heat, add lavender and tea, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

4. In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, just to combine. A little at a time, begin to add the cream, all the while whisking so that the eggs do not cook.

5. Pour the liquid mixture through a strainer to remove the tea and lavender.

6. Place six ¾-cup ramekins in a baking dish and divide the egg and cream mixture evenly between them. Transfer to the oven and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the custard gives a jolly little jiggle when you tap it.

8. Remove from the oven and let cool in the water bath for about 30 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and move to the fridge for at the least 4 hours.

9. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge, blot dry, and sprinkle evenly the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar on the custards, tapping them so the tops are evenly coated.

10. Using a culinary torch, brown the sugar by moving in a figure eight. The room should smell nutty and glorious as the sugar begins to caramelize (see note).

Makes 6 crème brûlée.

Note: You can brown the tops with a broiler if in a pinch, but this is seriously a last resort—you risk heating the rest of the crème brûlée!