Thai Tea Kaya Jam (Coconut Egg Jam)

Ingredients for egg mixture

• 1/4 cup Thai tea leaves
• 1 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water

Ingredients for caramel

• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar

Instructions

1. First, let’s infuse the coconut milk with the Thai tea flavor. In a small saucepan, add the coconut milk and bring it to a simmer on medium heat. 
2. Add Thai tea leaves and stir on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until everything is evenly combined.  Then, strain the Thai tea leaves out. Set aside to cool down.
3. Now, let’s make the egg mixture. In a saucepan, add eggs and sugar. Whisk until evenly combined.
4. Add Thai tea-infused coconut milk and vanilla extract to the mixture and whisk again until combined.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium high heat while stirring frequently to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn.
6. Once the mixture begins to boil, turn down the heat to medium low and cook (probably for 8-10 minutes). The mixture should have started to thicken.
7. In a small bowl, add cornstarch and water. Mix until combined.
8. Then, add this mixture into the saucepan and stir well to combine. Turn the heat down to low.
9. Let’s make the caramel, which helps the kaya get its signature deep flavor and enhances the color. In a separate saucepan, add the sugar on stir on medium high heat until the sugar melts.
10. Stir the caramel on medium heat until it’s golden brown (probably 5 minutes). Be careful here because sugar can burn really quickly, so err on the the safe side.
11. Add the caramel to the kaya and stir well to combine. At this point, it’s totally okay if there are lumps, but make sure the mixture is thick like jam. If it’s not, cook on medium high heat until it is.
12. Cool the mixture down, and then blend the mixture for 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes super smooth.
13. You’re done! Make sure you keep the Thai tea kaya jam in either the refrigerator or freezer.

Thai Tea Kaya Jam (Coconut Egg Jam) is a twist on the classic, rich kaya with the addition of some fragrant Thai tea making this an amazing complement to toast, add into buns, use as a dip, and the list goes on and on. It’s a deliciously gooey spread that is not too difficult to make for yourself or even to give as a gift. It really brings me back to travels in Hong Kong or Southeast Asia where kaya toast and Thai tea are super popular. Let me know in the comments below if you made these Thai Tea Kaya Jam and how it went!

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