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Spoon breaking through the caramelised sugar top of crema catalana.

Crema Catalana Recipe

Velvety Crema Catalana with citrus notes and a crisp brûlée top adds a gentle, festive dessert to any Christmas gathering.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Catalan, Spanish
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Manuela Zangara

Ingredients

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 120 g – ½ cup + 1½ tbsp sugar
  • 1 L – 4 cups milk
  • 40 g – ⅓ cup cornstarch
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cinnamon bark

Instructions

  1. Put the milk, lemon zest, and cinnamon bark in a pot. Bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the lemon zest and cinnamon infuse the milk for 30 to 60 minutes. Then strain the mixture.

  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale and fluffy.
  3. Place the egg yolk mixture over medium heat and slowly pour in the warm milk while whisking constantly.
  4. Cook over medium heat until it starts to boil and the cream thickens. It will be frothy at first, but the foam will disappear once it begins to boil (at this point, the crema catalana is ready).
  5. Divide the cream among 8 ramekins and let it cool. Once it reaches room temperature, refrigerate it until you are ready to serve.
  6. Just before serving, sprinkle ½ tablespoon of sugar on each crema catalana and brûlée it with a torch.

  7. Serve immediately.