Jersey Milk and Lavender Crème Brûlée

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

In a medium saucepan, combine Jersey milk, heavy cream, and lavender. Heat over medium heat until just simmering, but do not boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes to infuse the lavender flavor.

Strain the milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the lavender. This removes any lavender pieces.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until pale and slightly thickened.

Slowly drizzle the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Add vanilla extract.

Pour the custard mixture into four ramekins.

Place the ramekins in a baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (this creates a water bath).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the custards are set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center. Gently touch the side of a ramekin; there should be a slight wobble, but the custard should mostly hold its shape.

Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle about 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over the top of each custard.

Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it is golden brown and bubbly. Alternatively, place the ramekins under a broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.

Let the caramelized sugar crust cool and harden slightly before serving.