Crema Catalana

Name: Crema Catalana
Cook time: 165 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 l Milk, whole; 8 Egg Yolks; 140g Granulated Sugar; 35g Cornstarch; 1 Lemon Peels, wide strips, no white pith; 1 sticks of Cinnamon Stick; 75g Granulated Sugar

Crema Catalana is a silky, citrus-scented custard with a crisp caramelized sugar topping — a Spanish classic that balances bright lemon and warm cinnamon with rich eggy cream. Smooth and fragrant beneath a crackling brûléed surface, it’s elegant yet simple to make for a special dessert any night of the week.

Crema Catalana is a silky, citrus-scented custard with a crisp caramelized sugar topping — a Spanish classic that balances bright ... Show more

Traditional Spanish Recipe

Health Grade

D- · Occasional

Rating

4.3

Time

2 hrs30 min

Price

0,23 €

Calories

307 kcal

vegetarian

low calorie

gluten free

low sodium

Method

Infuse the milk

In a saucepan, combine the whole milk, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick. Warm over medium heat just until the milk is steaming and a few small bubbles appear around the edge, then take it off the heat, cover the pan, and let the flavors steep for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the peel and cinnamon stick before you move on.

Whisk the base

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 140 g of the granulated sugar until the mixture looks pale and thick, then whisk in the cornstarch until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Keep the remaining 75 g of sugar back for the crust.

Cook the custard

Slowly whisk a ladleful of the hot milk into the yolk mixture to temper it, then whisk in the rest of the infused milk and return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and corners, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes.

Strain and chill

Press the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into 6 shallow ramekins to catch any bits of cooked egg or peel, then smooth the tops. Chill until cold and set for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the broiler

Set the oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven on broil. If the custards have any moisture on top, blot it gently so the sugar will caramelize instead of slipping around.

Caramelize the tops

Sprinkle the reserved sugar evenly over each chilled custard in a thin, even layer, then slide the dishes under the broiler until the sugar melts, turns deep amber, and forms a brittle crust, 1 to 3 minutes. Watch constantly and rotate the dishes if one side is coloring faster than the other. Serve right away so the crust stays crisp.