Best Crema Catalana Recipes

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• In a pot, beat together the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until thoroughly blended and the mixture turns frothy.
• Add the cinnamon stick and grated lemon rind.
• Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of the cold milk, when well mixed return it to the remaining 2 cups of milk.
• Pour in the milk.
• Slowly heat the mixture, stirring constantly, just until thickened.
• Remove pot from heat immediately.
• Tip: As soon as the mixture thickens and you feel resistance while stirring, remove the pot from the heat or the mixture may curdle or separate! The texture of the finished crema will be grainy instead of smooth and creamy, this is as it should be.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the milk mixture into 4 ramekins (individual serving size).
• Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
• Before serving, preheat the broiler.
• Remove ramekins with the crema catalana from refrigerator and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each ramekin.
• When broiler is hot, place the ramekins under the broiler on the top shelf and allow the sugar to caramelize, turning gold and brown.
• This may take 10 minutes or so, depending on your broiler. Remove and serve immediately.
• If you'd like, you can serve the crema catalana chilled, but we think it has more flavor when served warm from the broiler.

CREMA CATALANA FOAM

Steps:

• Heat cream and milk with vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and zests in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until just hot and let stand 5 minutes to infuse.
• Whisk together yolks, sugar, and flour until thick and pale. Pour hot cream through a sieve into yolk mixture, whisking until smooth, and transfer custard to cleaned pan. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 10 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a metal bowl set in an ice-water bath and cool, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer custard to siphon and screw on top tightly. Unscrew charge holder from head and put in a charger. Reattach charge holder and screw on tightly. Gas will be released into siphon (with a whooshing sound) within a few seconds. Chill filled siphon at least 1 hour to produce a stiffer foam. Remove and discard first charger. (As you unscrew charge holder, you'll hear a brief hissing sound.) If fitting from holder comes out attached to charger, just remove charger and reattach fitting. Screw on second charger and chill at least 15 minutes (longer if foam is not thick enough).
• Shake siphon well. Turn upside down and press lever to fill 3/4-cup glasses or cups with foam. Serve immediately.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Special equipment: 10 (5-ounce) ramekins
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, and salt to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes to infuse flavors. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the 1 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water to make a slurry and whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Remove and discard the orange zest and cinnamon sticks from the milk. Whisking constantly, gradually add the milk to the egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly to thicken, about 3 to 5 minutes. Strain the custard into a large bowl and whisk in the vanilla. Divide the custard between 10 (5-ounce) ramekins and smooth the surfaces. Cool the custards slightly, then cover the ramekins with the plastic wrap and refrigerate them until the custard is cold, at least 8 or up to 24 hours
• To serve the crema catalana, sprinkle each ramekin evenly with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until browned and crusty. Serve immediately.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Mix in cornstarch.
• Peel lemon in one piece. Combine milk, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, and vanilla seeds in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and allow the milk to get infused with the flavorings for 30 minutes and cool. Whisk egg yolk-sugar mixture into the lukewarm milk.
• Return to heat and simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat until cream thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Spoon cream into 8 ovenproof ramikens and allow to cool completely, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar onto each ramiken and set under the broiler until sugar caramelizes, 1 to 2 minutes. Pay close attention so sugar does not burn.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Combine milk, lemon peel, orange peel and cinnamon sticks in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Discard lemon peels, orange peels and cinnamon sticks.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar in large bowl until light and lemon colored. Beat in cornstarch. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Divide custard among six 2/3 cup custard cups. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over custards. Broil until brown sugar caramelizes. (Or caramelize with round branding iron). Serve.

CREMA CATALANA (CATALAN BURNT CREAM)

Steps:

• Place the milk, scraped vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and lemon and orange zests in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then strain and set aside.
• Whisk the egg yolds with the caster sugar in a bowl for about 5 minutes, until pale and creamy. Add the cornflour and mix well. Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg and whisk continuously. Return to the saucepan and cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and creamy. Do not boil as it will curdle. Pour into six 1 cup ramekins and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and grill for 3 minutes or until it caramelises.

CREMA CATALANA ICE CREAM SUNDAES

Steps:

• For Ice Cream:
• Cook 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, occasionally swirling pan and brushing sides of pan with pastry brush dipped into water, about 10 minutes. Add whipping cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) and whisk until smooth. Whisk in half and half and bring to simmer. Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 4 minutes; do not boil. Strain custard into bowl. Whisk in crème fraîche and vanilla extract. Refrigerate custard until well chilled.
• Transfer custard to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Freeze in covered container.)
• For sauce:
• Cook both sugars, apple juice and butter in heavy medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Cool sauce to lukewarm, about 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, rewarm sauce over low heat just until liquid.)
• Spoon ice cream into parfait glasses, wineglasses or bowls. Drizzle sauce over. Sprinkle with raspberries if desired.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 140°C.
• Put cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and peel in a pan over medium heat.
• Bring just to boiling point, then remove from heat.
• Whisk together yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl.
• Strain cream and pour slowly over yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
• Skim off any foam.
• Put six 1/2-cup (125ml) ramekins in a large roasting pan and spoon mixture into ramekins.
• Pour hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins, then cover the whole pan with foil.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until just set.
• Lift the ramekins out of the pan and leave to cool before chilling in the fridge for 2 hours.
• When ready to serve, preheat the grill to high.
• Place ramekins on a baking tray, sprinkle brown sugar over chilled creams, then place under the grill (oven broiler) for 2-3 minutes until sugar is melted and dark golden.
• Leave for a few minutes for sugar to cool and harden before serving.

CITRUS CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°.
• In a saucepan, combine the milk with the cream, sugar, citrus zests and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from the heat.
• In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the infused milk, then whisk the yolk mixture into the remaining infused milk in the saucepan. Strain the custard and pour it into two 3/4- or 1-cup ramekins.
• Set the ramekins in a small baking dish and add enough hot water to the dish to reach halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the custards are barely set. Remove the ramekins from the baking dish, let cool slightly and cover loosely with foil. Refrigerate the custards until chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the broiler. Set the ramekins in a shallow baking dish packed with ice. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the custards and broil 4 inches from the heat until golden brown, about 15 seconds; shift the baking dish for even browning. Serve at once.
• Make Ahead: The custards can be prepared through Step 4, tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 2 days.

SHERRY CREMA CATALANA ICE CREAM WITH HONEYED FIGS

Steps:

• Bring half-and-half with lemon and orange zests and cinnamon stick just to a boil over moderate heat. Cover and let stand off heat 25 minutes, then reheat to a simmer. Discard zests and cinnamon stick.
• Whisk together yolks, sugar, and Sherry in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Transfer custard to cleaned saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened enough to coat back of a wooden spoon and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F.
• Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and cover surface with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until thoroughly cold, about 3 hours. Freeze in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.
• Bring figs, Sherry, juice, and honey, covered, to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer, covered, just until figs are tender, about 40 minutes, then uncover and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Cool figs in syrup.
• Serve ice cream with honeyed figs and syrup.

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• Beat together the egg yolks and 3/4 of sugar, until thoroughly blended and the mixture turns frothy. Add the cinnamon stick. Pour in the milk and cornstarch. Slowly heat the mixture, stirring constantly, just until thickened. Remove pot from heat immediately.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the milk mixture into 4-6 ramekins (depending on size). Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.
• Before serving, preheat the broiler. Remove ramekins with the Crema Catalana from refrigerator and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each ramekin. When broiler is hot, place the ramekins under the broiler on the top shelf and allow the sugar to caramelize, turning gold and brown. This may take 10 minutes or so, depending on your broiler. Remove and serve immediately, or serve it chilled.