Crema Catalana is Spain’s answer to crème brûlée, which I was lucky enough to discover on a recent trip to Spain’s Costa Brava region. The silky, citrus-scented custard topped with a thin layer of crackly burnt sugar is, in fact, one of Spain’s oldest recorded desserts (originating in Catalonia), with recipes dating back to the Middle Ages. It’s traditionally served on Día de San José (St Joseph’s Day).
What makes crema Catalana so great?
This dessert is lighter than crème brûlée. Crema Catalana traditionally uses milk instead of cream, so the custard is smooth and delicate rather than rich and heavy. Although, some people prefer the richness of cream and use it instead.
I think the flavour is incredible. Instead of vanilla, crema Catalana is infused with lemon zest, orange zest and cinnamon, giving it that warm, almost festive aroma and appeal. And the caramelised sugar top is pure joy. You still get that iconic brûlée moment – tapping your spoon to crack through the glassy toffee into the soft custard underneath
Overall, crema Catalana is one of those deceptively simple desserts that tastes unbelievably elegant. It’s fragrant, creamy, caramelised and comforting – the kind of dish that disappears the moment you set it on the table. Try it and see!
6
servings30
minutes15
minutesThis dessert is quick and easy. Unlike crème brûlée, the custard is cooked on the stovetop, not baked in a water bath, making it far less fussy and very home-cook friendly. It’s naturally gluten-free, too. Perfect for feeding a crowd with dietary requirements.
Note: this recipe requires at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, refrigeration.
Stop your screen from snoozing (zzz)
Ingredients
1.2 L 1.2 l full-cream milk
4 large 4 large pieces of lemon peel
4 large 4 large pieces of orange peel
2 2 cinnamon sticks
10 10 egg yolks
130 g 130 g caster sugar
2 tbs 1.5 tbsp (heaped) cornflour
6 tbs 4 extra caster sugar, to serve
Method
- Place milk in a small, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add peel and cinnamon stick, then bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Set pan aside for 15 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
- Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks with sugar and cornflour in a bowl until pale and creamy.
- Remove peel and cinnamon stick from the hot milk and return pan to the stove over medium heat. Just before the milk mixture reaches boiling point, slowly pour in the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- Reduce the heat to low and whisk constantly for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove pan from the heat and divide the mixture among six 180ml ramekins. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of each custard to prevent a skin from forming. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Chill the crema Catalanas in the fridge for about 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Once the custards have chilled, remove from the fridge and set aside for 5-10 minutes to warm up a little. Sprinkle 1 tbs extra sugar over the top of each and spread the sugar by tilting the ramekins in all directions.
- Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise the sugar until a golden brown toffee. You can also place the ramekins on a baking tray under an oven grill until the sugar is caramelised. Watch carefully, though, as they can burn quickly! Serve.
Notes
- Make sure you use full-cream milk for a creamy crema Catalana. Although not traditional, you can use all pouring cream or a combination of cream and milk , if you like. Try 900ml full-cream milk and 300ml pouring cream.
- Be sure to refrigerate your dessert for at least 4 hours so that the crema Catalana fully sets.
- Decorate and serve your dessert with seasonal berries or fruit for extra fanciness!
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Silky smooth with a lovely perfume.