Do you like dessert? If you answered yes, you will love this fun Spanish traditional recipe. You have probably heard and even tried the French pastry Crème Brûlée This dessert is very similar to it, but the Crema Catalana has a special Spanish flare. Typically, this dessert was once only served on Saint Joseph’s day, but now you can find it almost everywhere. The recipe can be found in ancient recipe books and was served in medieval monasteries. The dish originated from the region of Catalonia. It is also known as Crema Quemada (burnt cream) and Crema San Joseph. Today children often make their parents this dessert on Saint Jospeh’s Day, which is celebrated as Father’s Day on March 19th.
The bases of the recipes are almost the same except Crema Catalana is made with milk rather than cream. It also incorporates fresh lemon zest and cinnamon. Interestingly, the technique used to bake the dessert is different. The Crème Brûlée is made using a water bath, which is called baño maría. This means that the Spanish pastry is much easier to make. Why don’t you give it a try next time you want to experiment in the kitchen and are craving something sweet? Check out the recipe below!
Make it Yourself:
Grate 1 complete lemon peel and add to the pot with 1 cinnamon stick. If you want, you can switch the lemon for orange.- Beat 4 egg yokes together in a bowl and once blended add ¾ cups of sugar.
- Mix together 2 cups of milk and 1tsp of cornstarch. Heat the mixture slowly and stir constantly.
- As soon as the cream becomes thick and harder to stir, remove it immediately from the stove and take the cinnamon out.
- Grab some ramekins or cupcake/muffin cups and pour the cream into them. Allow them to cool and put them in the fridge to set for 2-3 hours.
- Next, preheat the broiler (place only in the top half of the oven).
- Sprinkle a little more sugar on top of each cream filled ramekin.
- Place the ramekins in the oven to let the sugar melt. This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and enjoy!
If you are interested in learning how to cook more Spanish recipes and want a more hands on lesson, check out our upcoming Meet & Cook classes!
– Nina
