Ingredients

• 300mlpure cream
• 200ml full cream milk
• 3 long red chillies, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 125g caster sugar
• Zest of 2 limes
• ½ cup lime juice

• ½ cup caster sugar
• ¼ cup water
• Zested peel of 2 limes, long thin strands

• 1 tablespoon gula melaka, shaved, for topping
• 2-3 tablespoons caster sugar, extra for topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 130°C fan forced and lightly grease six 150ml-capacity oven-proof ramekins with butter or oil spray.

2. Place cream, milk and chillies in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Remove from heat and allow to infuse while cooling, strain to remove chillies and gently reheat the milk.

3. Whisk eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy.  Whisk in the warm milk gradually and strain through a fine sieve 2-3 times to help break up any foam and pour into a jug.

4. Place prepared ramekins in a deep oven tray and pour custard into ramekins.  Pour boiling water into the tray to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Cover tray with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until just set but with a little wobble in the centre of the custards. Remove ramekins from the oven tray and allow to cool completely.  Refrigerate until required.

5. For lime syrup, place sugar and water in a small saucepan over low-medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil until thickened. Add strips of lime peel to syrup, remove pan from heat and allow to cool.

6. For crème brulee topping, place gula melaka and caster sugar in a bowl and using fingertips rub mixture to combine. Thickly sprinkle over custards and use a blow torch to heat sugar to form a thick caramel. Alternatively place under a heated grill for 1-2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds to ensure sugars don’t catch and burn.