Crema Catalana

Crema Catalana is a very popular dessert in bars and restaurants and you can readily buy premade ones but the home made version is by far the best.  It is basically just home made custard with a topping of caramelised sugar.  Simple but delicious.

Its not often we do desserts but this one and others like it are well worth a mention for those of us with a sweet tooth! You can also discover more Spanish dessert recipes in the soon to be published book "Mouthwatering Spanish Recipes" available this December on Kindle Fire. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

200g (7 oz) sugar

120 ml (4 fl.oz) milk

750 ml (25.5 fl.oz) milk

6 egg yolks

3 tablespoons corn flour

Cinnamon stick

Peel of ½ a lemon

Method:

1.    Beat 150g (5 ½ oz) sugar and the egg yolks together in a bowl

2.    Pour 750ml (25.5 fl.oz) milk into a saucepan with the cinnamon stick and the lemon peel and bring to the boil.

3.    As soon as the milk has boiled, remove from the heat and strain the milk into the bowl with the eggs, whisking continuously until they are blended together.

4.    Dissolve the corn flour into the 120ml (4 fl oz) of milk and stir into the larger milk mixture (which will now be custard)

5.    Pour the custard back into the pan and cook on a very low heat stirring all the time until it just starts to gently bubble.

6.    Remove from the heat and strain into small shallow cazuelas or dishes (straining the custard will remove and lumps which may have formed.) Allow the custard to cool so it is quite solid.

7.    To serve sprinkle each dish with the remaining sugar and then caramelise by heating a small metal spatula (until it is red hot) and placing on the sugar for a few seconds. Or place under a very hot grill for a few seconds, long enough to caramelise the sugar.

Makes 6 - 8 puddings