Catalan cream

Accorring to the tradition of the Catalogna region some nuns had prepared, on the occasion of the bishop's visit to the convent, a pudding that was too liquid.

To fix the mistake, they would have sprinkled the surface with hot caramelized sugar.

Hence the name Crema cremada, meaning "burnt", although, over time, the custom of preparing it on the occasion of March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, has spread, and is therefore also known today as Crema de Sant Josep.

What do you need

1 liter of milk

200 g of sugar

1 cinnamon bark

6 yolks

the peel of half an untreated lemon

50 g of cornstarch or wheat starch

How to proceed

Bring the milk to a boil in a large pan with the cinnamon, half the sugar and the lemon peel. Let it simmer for 5 minutes over a very low heat.

Meanwhile, dilute the cornstarch (or wheat starch) in a little cold milk.

Beat the eggs well with the sugar, until the mixture becomes clear, homogeneous and creamy. Incorporate the milk and cornstarch solution through a colander, to retain any lumps, and stir until the mixture is well blended.

Remove the milk from the heat. Remove the cinnamon and lemon peel and gradually add the mixture of eggs, sugar, milk and cornstarch, stirring constantly.

Put the pan back on the heat keeping the flame low and stir continuously, until it thickens, avoiding that the cream remains too long on the heat, because it could tear.

Pour the cream into individual bowls. As soon as it has cooled, place them and leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Remove the bowls from the fridge and sprinkle the surface of the cream with brown sugar.

Then pass the bowls under the oven grill, until the sugar on the surface is caramelized. Or, caramelize the surface with a cake torch.