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THE FAMOUS CATALAN DESSERT CREMA CATALANA – HOW TO MAKE CATALAN CREAM

a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice

What is Crema Catalana?

Crema Catalana, or Catalan Cream, is one of the most typical desserts, originally from the Spanish region of Catalonia, but it has spread out through all of Spain.

Crema catalana is without doubt one of the most famous examples of Catalan desserts. Thanks to its originality and unique fantastic taste it has become an internationally well-known recipe nowadays.

It is pretty similar to the French crème brûlée, but the main difference is that crema catalana is made from milk and is then thickened with cornstarch and eggs, while the crème brûlée  is made with a thick cream, is cooked in the oven in a water bath, and in general we can say that the texture is more similar to a flan.

It is a great dessert for spring and it’s tradition in Spain to prepare this dessert on March 19.  Therefore, it is also called “Crema de Sant Josep,” the Spanish equivalent of Father’s Day in the USA.

It is rich, has a delicious creamy texture and melts in your mouth while eating it. So why not try out the recipe for crema catalana on your own? Here you find an easy 7-step description for food and cooking lovers! Give it a try!

 

See more: RECIPES FOR TRADITIONAL AND TYPICAL SWEETS IN SPAIN

 

7 Steps to prepare Crema Catalana

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration Time: 3 hours

Servings: 4

  1. Sweets and Pastry tourBeat together the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl until the mixture turns creamy. Now add the cinnamon stick together with the lemon peel.
  2. Mix the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of the cold milk. When it’s well mixed return it to the remaining 2 cups of milk and pour the all together with the before prepared egg/sugar/cinnamon mixture.
  3. Cook slowly the mixture over a low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until it comes to the boil. Just until thickened, remove from the heat immediately or the mixture may separate!
  4. Now pour the mixture into bowls and remove the cinnamon stick. Let it cool down a little bit and then refrigerate the cream for at least 2-3 hours.
  5. Before serving, preheat your oven and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the desert.
  6. When the oven is hot, place the cream on the top shelf and allow the sugar to caramelize, turning gold and brown. This may take around 10 minutes. NOTE: It is traditional in Cataluña to place a heated iron with a spiral shape to brown and caramelize the top of the crema catalana. But as you many kitchen equipment doesn’t include a spiral-shaped hot iron, it is simply put in the oven to caramelize the sugar.
  7. Remove and serve immediately. You can also serve the crema catalana cold, but for my taste it has much more flavor when served warm and fresh.

 Bon profit!

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