Chai Creme Brulee

Combine heavy cream, half-and-half, the seeds of a vanilla bean, and the pod itself in a saucepan. Place it over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and add in tea bags, then cover and let it infuse for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tea bags and discard them; similarly, get rid of the used vanilla bean pod.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar until it's all smooth and combined. Gradually whisk in the cream mixture, followed by a blend of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.

Fill 6 ramekins with the cream mixture. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan to cover halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake in the preheated oven until the desserts are just set, taking about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Sprinkle each dessert with a thin, even layer of granulated sugar, about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown and caramelize the sugar, about 1 minute; let it cool and harden before serving.