Crema Catalana Recipe - Food.com (2024)

7

Submitted by Annacia

"Crema Catalana or Catalan Cream is the Spanish version of the French dessert, crème brulée. Due to the close proximity of Cataluña to France, some believe the famous French dessert actually originated in Cataluña! Wherever it originated won’t matter as you eat this dessert, letting it dissolve in your mouth! It is a great dessert for Spring, since it is also called Crema de Sant Josep, or St. Joseph’s cream, traditionally prepared on March 19th, St. Joseph’s Day, the Spanish equivalent of Father’s Day in the USA. This is a great dessert to make ahead of time, since it is very easy and requires 2-3 hours of refrigeration before serving. Make it the day before and leave it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Then heat the broiler, caramelize the sugar and serve! (Chill times not included)."

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Ready In:
20mins

Ingredients:
6
Serves:

4

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ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 12 lemon, rind of, grated
  • 2 cups milk

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directions

  • 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.

Questions & Replies

Crema Catalana Recipe - Food.com (13)

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Reviews

  1. This was so much fun to make! The custard was super easy and tasted great. It's like a creme brûlée without the cream. Loved it!

    Jonathan Melendez

  2. We really liked this a lot but I will put a little less lemon in it next time because the kids didnt really enjoy it that much.

    bet0625

  3. Very much enjoyed, a lighter, looser texture than creme brulee, with a delicate flavour, my husband was pleasantly surprised by this (for us) unusual dessert. Not difficult to make, I was quite nervous about over-cooking it, but it was fine.I made it the day before and let it sit overnight in the fridge, putting it under the grill the following evening.This made six desserts in small ramekins, for me.Thanks, Annacia!

    Karen Elizabeth

  4. This pudding has a wonderfully lemony flavor. Lighter in texture than a creme brulee and to me, other than caramelizing the top upon completion I am not entirely sure the two are similar. I used my kitchen torch for the final touch. I enjoyed this very much and will make again! Thank you, Annacia!

    Bev I Am

  5. This recipe is very similar to a recipe I found on Spain recipes (only the directions are a tad bit different) for crema Catalan. This has a good flavor but I personally prefer the smother texture of crème Brule. The directions don’t mention when or where to put the cornstarch so I submitted a correction. Thanks for posting.

    mamadelogan

see 3 more reviews

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Annacia

Canada

  • 166 Followers
  • 1624 Recipes
  • 232 Tweaks

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FAQs

What is the difference between crème brûlée and crema catalana? ›

Crème brûlée is a slightly richer French vanilla custard made with heavy whipping cream baked in a water bath. Crema Catalana is a Spanish custard made with milk and flavored with citrus and cinnamon. Because Crema Catalana uses milk instead of heavy cream, it is lighter and more delicate than crème brûlée.

Is crema catalana the same as flan? ›

It was mentioned in the famous medieval Catalan cookbook Llibre de Sent Soví (published in 1324). References to creme brulee didn't appear in print until centuries later, in the 1691 cookbook Le Cuisinier royal et bourgeois. Is crema catalana the same as flan? No, it's definitely different.

What is catalana? ›

The crema Catalana is one of Spanish cuisine's most typical and delicious desserts. This pastry cream is flavored with cinnamon and lemon and covered with a layer of caramelized sugar that gives it a crunchy and sweet sensation.

Which came first crème brûlée or crema catalana? ›

Crema catalana is the oldest custard dessert in Europe. Historians have found recipes dating back to the 14th century in Catalan cookbooks! On the other hand, creme brûlée didn't make an appearance until the 17th century.

What is the English version of crème brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée or crème brulée (/ˌkrɛm bruːˈleɪ/; French pronunciation: [kʁɛm bʁy. le]), also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, and virtually identical to crema catalana, is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar.

How do you drink Crema Catalana? ›

The ideal temperature at which to serve a Cream is 12ºC. It may also be consumed as an aperitif, or as a co*cktail served with ice and a slice of orange. It is the ideal dessert wine; perfect to accompany fruit (melon, orange) pastries or ice-cream.

Why was Crema Catalana invented? ›

Uncertain Origins: While the prevailing theory attributes the invention of Crema Catalana to 18th-century Catalan nuns, its true origins remain shrouded in mystery. Nestled within the charming streets of Catalonia, the story is said to unfold within the sacred confines of a convent kitchen.

What is the difference between panna cotta and crème brûlée? ›

Panna cotta is a gelatinized cream, much like an aspic. Creme brulee is a custard made with eggs. Both are thickened sweet cream, one is cooked on top of the stove and the other is baked in the oven; one is thickened in the refrigerator with gelatin while the other is thickened in the oven by the eggs.

What's the difference between crème brûlée and panna cotta? ›

They differ by ingredients and method of preparation. Creme Brule is cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla. Panna cotta is cream, sugar and gelatin. Creme Brule is stirred overheat until thickened, then sugar is spread on the surface.

How do you drink crema catalana? ›

The ideal temperature at which to serve a Cream is 12ºC. It may also be consumed as an aperitif, or as a co*cktail served with ice and a slice of orange. It is the ideal dessert wine; perfect to accompany fruit (melon, orange) pastries or ice-cream.

Is crème brûlée literally means cream? ›

Origin of crème brûlée

1. 1885–90; <French: literally, burnt cream.

Is crème brûlée basically custard? ›

Here is a classic Crème Brûlée with a silky, smooth and rich custard topped with a thin pane of crunchy toffee. This is French chic personified in a dessert – classy but not stuffy, and oh-so-effortless! It takes just 4 simple ingredients: cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla.

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