Creme Catalana is a delicious Spanish dessert similar to French creme brulee. The main difference between the Catalan cream and its French counterpart is that it is cooked not in the oven, but on the stove, and it also has a more delicate texture.

The finished chilled cream is sprinkled with brown sugar and flambéed to get a caramel crust. I have not yet acquired such a device as a flambé burner, so I used my husband's lighter.

To prepare the Catalan cream, prepare all the necessary products.

Pour the yolks into a deep bowl, add sugar and grind well.

Add cinnamon and orange zest.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add milk and continue to beat with a whisk. Pour a little milk immediately and stir the starch in it.

Add the starch mixture to the pan along with vanilla sugar and, stirring vigorously, cook the cream until it thickens. This will take about 15 minutes.

Then strain the cream through a sieve into a deep container.

Divide the cream into portion molds. I got almost 3 servings, one a little incomplete. Place the cream in the refrigerator to cool.

When the cream has cooled, it should be sprinkled with brown sugar and, using a flambé burner, turn it into caramel.

Serve the Catalan cream immediately! Fruit or berries can be served with this dessert if desired.

Bon Appetit!

Which conquers a true gourmet from the first spoon thanks to a combination of opposites: a soft, cool middle and a crispy crust of caramelized sugar.

The British, French and Catalans argue about who really first invented this dessert, and each, as usual, attributes innovation to his people. There are reasons for this: there really is a dessert similar to catalan cream, which is called creme brulee, but its recipe is somewhat different: cream is used instead of milk, vanilla is used for flavoring, and it is cooked in a water bath. But even at this stage, versions of the origin diverge: the British attribute its creation to Trinity College in the 17th century, and the French refer to the first mention of creme brulee in 1691 by François Messialo. In order not to offend anyone, we will adhere to the original Catalan version of the origin of the dessert.

Crema catalana is considered one of the oldest desserts in Europe; references to it can be found in the Catalan cookbooks Llibre de Sent Soví (XIV century) and Llibre del Coch (XVI century). However, it owes its name to one story that happened in the 18th century: the nuns of the Catalan monastery, waiting for the arrival of the bishop, decided to cook flan (a kind of pudding) for dessert, but it came out too liquid. To save the situation, the nuns decided to perfect the dish with a crust of caramelized sugar. When the dish was served, the crust was still hot, and the bishop, having tasted it, exclaimed: “Crema!”, Which in Catalan means “Burns!”.

Crema catalana has become a popular festive dessert in Catalonia, traditionally it was prepared on the feast of St. Joseph on March 19 (in modern times, Father's Day is also celebrated on this day in Spain). That is why the cream has become an integral part of family holiday dinners in Catalonia, it is mentioned in his work “Quadern gris” (“Grey Notebook”) by the Catalan writer Joseph Pla.

Now the Catalan cream has gained popularity throughout Spain, it is eaten not only on March 19, but also at moments when the soul wants a sweet holiday. He is equally revered among the Spaniards and among tourists , it is prepared at home and in restaurants. Most often, cream is served in clay portioned plates.

There are not so many options for catalan cream, they differ only in the ingredients used: sometimes ordinary starch is used instead of corn starch, cream is sometimes added in modern recipes, but in Catalan lands milk is not flavored with vanilla, as the French do in their creme brulee.

To prepare 4-6 servings of Catalan dessert, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 liter of milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar for the cream and a little sugar for the crust
• 40 g cornstarch
• Peel of half a lemon (without the white part)
• Peel of half an orange (without the white part)
• finger sized cinnamon stick

In one liter of milk, add the peel of a lemon, an orange and a cinnamon stick - this is how we will flavor it. On medium heat, heat the milk, then, without bringing to a boil, remove from heat and leave covered for 30-60 minutes.

After that, mix 6 yolks with 100 grams of sugar until the ingredients are completely mixed, add 40 grams of cornstarch and mix again.

Pour milk through a sieve into the egg mixture, mix well until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden or silicone spatula or spoon until the layer remaining on the spoon after stirring becomes denser.

Pass the finished cream through a sieve again. Pour it into separate portioned plates (the classic version is clay), cover with cling film and put in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

After the cream has hardened well, sprinkle sugar on top, and using a burner, caramelize the sugar until a crispy brown crust forms.

• Before peeling the lemon and orange they should be washed thoroughly, preferably with a brush. Also, the white part of the peel should not be allowed to get into the dish, it has a very bitter taste that can spoil the dish, so you should use a very sharp knife.
• When mixing products, you should not use a mixer, just as you should not mix too actively and for a long time: this will cause excessive formation of bubbles, which will subsequently form an unaesthetic foam.
• Also, do not caramelize the sugar in advance before putting the dessert in the refrigerator, otherwise, under the influence of moisture, it will lose its crunchy texture.
• What to do if there is no burner in the household? There is an exit. You can take a tablespoon or a metal spatula (using an oven mitt or towel), heat it up strongly over the fire (red hot) and go over the sugar layer until a crust forms. Another option is to place the chilled dessert, sprinkled with a layer of sugar, in the oven, heated to the maximum on the grill mode, as close as possible to the heating element for 3-4 minutes, but here it is important to carefully monitor the process so as not to overdo it.

Cream flavored

Today there are many recipes for a variety of desserts. Therefore, if you are a lover of sweets, then you can experiment in the kitchen almost endlessly! Today we invite you to learn how to cook Catalan cream. This dessert, cold inside and hot outside, with a fragrant caramel crust will not leave anyone indifferent!

Description and history

Catalan (or Catalan) cream can also be found under the name St. Joseph's cream or simply catalana. Spain is officially considered the birthplace of this amazing dessert. So, the Catalans claim to have invented it in the 18th century. However, in Europe this original recipe was known long before that. In Spain, it is considered a traditional dish on the day of Joseph the Betrothed, which is celebrated on March 19th. It was in honor of this saint that the dessert got its second name.

The consistency of Catalan creme is similar to French creme brulee. However, it is prepared using milk, not cream.

Catalan cream: recipe with photo

We bring to your attention a simple version of the preparation of this original dessert. To do this, we need the following ingredients: 450 ml of milk (2.5% fat), four eggs, two tablespoons of potato starch, a glass of sugar, a bag of vanilla and one lemon. Alternatively, cornstarch can be used. Also, if you wish, you can decorate the finished dessert with berries.

Instruction

First you need to remove it from the most convenient way to do this with a grater. Pour the resulting zest into milk. We put on the stove and heat up to 50 degrees. Separate the yolks from the whites. Put the first one in a separate bowl. We do not need proteins, so they can be used to prepare another dish. So, pour sugar to the yolks and beat until a white foam forms. It is most convenient to do this with a mixer.

Then add starch and warm milk to the beaten yolks. Mix and send to the stove. Cook the mixture over low heat. In this case, you must constantly stir the cream. When the mass thickens, add vanilla. Mix well again.

After that, put the mass into molds and put it in the refrigerator. The cream should cool for at least three hours.

Presentation and highlight

Do not forget that we are preparing not a banal dessert, but a Catalan cream with a caramelized crust! Therefore, before serving, remove the chilled mixture and sprinkle it on top with sugar. To create a crust, you can use a special one. However, you can do without this device. To do this, put the molds with cream for a couple of minutes in the oven or microwave in the "Grill" mode. This time should be enough for the sugar to turn into a fragrant crust.

The finished cream will remain to decorate with berries. It should be served immediately, before the crust has cooled down! Bon Appetit!

Original dessert: baked apples with catalan cream

We bring to your attention an amazing recipe that will surely appeal to your household and guests. To prepare mashed potatoes, we need the following components: a pound of apples and 50 grams of sugar. We will prepare the cream from products such as: 400 ml of milk, 75 grams of sugar, five egg yolks, zest from one lemon and one lime and cinnamon sticks.

Cooking process

Let's start with puree. Peel the apples and cut them into halves. We spread them on a baking sheet and send them to the oven preheated to 180 degrees. After that, we make mashed potatoes from them, add sugar and filter.

Now we need to prepare the Catalan cream, which is the main part of this dessert. To do this, pour milk into a saucepan, add sugar and mix. After that, add the beaten yolks, lemon and lime zest, cinnamon. Stir and start heating. The fire must be weak. Cook the cream until thickened, remembering to stir constantly. After that, cool the mass and place it in a culinary siphon. Shake and refrigerate for at least one hour.

After this time, you can serve the original dessert on the table. To do this, we need to put applesauce in a container, add cream foam from the siphon and sprinkle a little grated zest on top. If desired, you can also sprinkle sugar on top of the dessert and create a caramelized crust using a cooking torch as described in the previous recipe.

Be sure that in both cases the delicacy will turn out not only very refined and original, but also very tasty! In addition, you can always experiment with the composition of additional ingredients for the Catalan cream and combine it with a variety of culinary products. So let your imagination run wild and surprise your family and friends with amazing desserts!

Cooking instructions

1 hour Print

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Line the bottom of a deep baking sheet with paper towels. Pour in 2 cm of water and place in the middle of the oven. Tool Oven thermometer How the oven actually heats up, even if you set a specific temperature, can only be understood with experience. It is better to have a small thermometer on hand, which is placed in the oven or simply hung on the grate. And it is better that it shows degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit simultaneously and accurately - like a Swiss watch. A thermometer is important when it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime: for example, in the case of baking.

2. Mix milk and cream in a saucepan, add freshly cut zest from 2 oranges, cinnamon and vanilla. Boil. Let it boil and immediately remove from heat. Take out the zest, vanilla and cinnamon. Let the cream cool.
Crib How to prepare the zest

3. Beat the yolks with sugar into a fluffy foam. Gently fold the mixture into the milk cream. Pass through a fine sieve.
Crib How to separate whites from yolks

4. Fill heat-resistant molds. The top of the cream should remain smooth, without bubbles and foams. If necessary, the foam must be carefully caught.

5. Put the molds in a water bath so that the water reaches only half the height of the molds.
Put the catalan cream in the oven for about an hour until it thickens.

6. Remove the molds from the oven. Let cool, then chill in the refrigerator.

7. Immediately before serving, preheat the oven to maximum. Sprinkle the surface of each cream with a pinch of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of cane sugar and place on top. Remove as soon as the sugar caramelizes. It is important to do this on time, as the cream should not have time to warm up.

Sweet tooth in a lifetime will not be able to try all the desserts that exist in the world. But true gourmets are sure to choose the most popular and only delicious delicacies. Today we will learn how to cook Catalan cream in the home kitchen. The recipe for making this dessert was carried by culinary experts through the centuries, because for the first time such a delicacy was tasted in the 14th century.

What do the Catalans eat?

This is not about the cream that is used to grease the cake layers. Catalan cream is a complete dessert, but unusual. If you believe the story, then his recipe was invented quite by accident. When one bishop was supposed to taste a dessert similar to the famous creme brulee, the chefs spoiled it a little and made it too thin. To quickly remedy the situation, I had to fill the dessert with a caramel crust.

Since then, a classic Catalan cream has appeared, which everyone who visits Spain can try. Today you have a unique opportunity to cook a real Catalan dessert according to an old recipe.

Compound:

• 500 ml pasteurized cow's milk;
• 0.1 kg of granulated sugar;
• 20 g cornmeal;
• 3 tsp granulated sugar for caramel;
• 3 pcs. chicken eggs;
• 1 lemon;
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder;
• ½ tsp vanilla extract.

Cooking:

1. From the above list, it can be seen that the preparation of a true Catalan dessert does not require exquisite gourmet products. Let's prepare them.
   
2. We take a bowl and a vegetable peeler. Peel the zest from the lemon in a very thin layer.
   
3. Put the citrus zest in a saucepan.

   

4. Pour the lemon zest with pasteurized cow's milk. Just don't pour out the whole batch. Leave about ¼ of it.
   
5. Add a pinch of cinnamon powder.
   
6. We put the milk on a moderate fire and heat it up.
   
7. While the milk is warming up, separate the egg yolks from the whites.
8. To prepare the Catalan cream, we need only the yolks. Put them in a deep bowl and add granulated sugar.
   
9. Add sifted cornmeal.
10. Mix thoroughly with a hand whisk.
11. Pour in the remaining pasteurized cow's milk.

    

12. Add vanilla extract.
13. Shake thoroughly.
14. In the meantime, our milk has already warmed up. It is not necessary to bring it to a boil.
15. Constantly stirring the egg mass with a whisk, we introduce the heated milk.
    
16. Once again, whisk everything thoroughly.
17. The resulting mixture is filtered through a fine sieve.
    
18. Pour the strained mass into a thick-walled dish.
19. Place over moderate heat and simmer until thickened.
20. During the cooking process, constantly stir the cream with a silicone spatula.
21. Pour hot cream into bowls or other molds.
    
22. Leave the dessert to cool completely.
23. Then sprinkle it with a thin layer of granulated sugar.
24. With the help of a hand burner, turn the granulated sugar into caramel.
    
25. Dessert is ready to eat. Inside it turns out to be liquidish, and on top it is covered with a crispy caramel crust.

Healthy dessert for the whole family

You have already learned how to prepare a Catalan cream according to a classic Spanish recipe. As practice shows, how many chefs, so many opinions, or rather, recipes. Here is another interesting recipe that will help you prepare an unusually tasty and healthy dessert.



Compound:

• 1 liter of pasteurized cow's milk;
• 6 pcs. bay leaves;
• corn starch - 65 g;
• cane sugar - 8 tbsp. l.;
• 8 pcs. chicken eggs;
• 1 lemon.

Cooking:

1. Pour 0.2 l of chilled pasteurized cow's milk into a deep bowl.
2. Pour the corn starch into the milk base.
3. Beat well with a hand whisk until a mass of a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
4. Crack the eggs and carefully separate the yolks.
5. We don’t need protein mass, so you can make excellent meringues from it.
6. Combine the yolks with 2 tbsp. l. cane sugar.
7. We arm ourselves with a blender or mixer.
8. Whisk these ingredients well until fluffy.
9. We combine the resulting mass with milk and beat everything again.
10. Rinse the lemon thoroughly under running water.
11. With the help of a small grater, remove the zest.
12. Pour 800 ml of cow's milk into a saucepan.
13. We put it on the stove. Add bay leaf and citrus zest.
14. We heat the milk, but do not bring it to a boil.
15. Strain the milk mixture in the usual way.
16. We begin to beat the yolk mixture and introduce hot milk in a thin stream.
17. Pour the entire mixture into a thick bowl.
18. We put on a minimum fire and cook until thickened.
19. In no case should this mass be boiled, otherwise the yolk will curdle and the dessert will not work.
20. We take six heat-resistant molds.
21. Pour the hot milk mixture into molds. It turns out approximately 150 ml.
22. Cool the cream, and then move it to the refrigerator for 5 hours.
23. Remove the cream from the refrigerator and sprinkle with cane sugar.
24. We put the molds in the oven and keep on the grill until the granulated sugar turns into a caramel crust.

Modern interpretation of Catalan cream

Catalan cream can be made a little differently. An orange will give a special aroma to the dessert, and cream will give a delicate taste.

Compound:

• 4 things. chicken eggs;
• 70 g of granulated sugar;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 orange;
• 2 tbsp. l. corn starch;
• cinnamon stick;
• 0.25 l of pasteurized milk;
• 0.25 l cream with a fat concentration of 33%;
• 50 g brown sugar.

Cooking:

1. Rinse citrus fruits thoroughly.
2. Using a vegetable peeler or grater, remove the zest.
3. Combine the yolks with sugar and beat thoroughly into a fluffy mixture.
4. In the same mass we introduce citrus zest and corn starch.
5. Whisk well again.
6. Combine pasteurized milk with cream.
7. We heat in a thick-walled dish, adding a cinnamon stick.
8. Then we introduce the egg mass, mix thoroughly and cook until thickened. We do not allow boiling.
9. And then we do as described in the previous recipes.
10. You can immediately sprinkle the cooled dessert with brown sugar and bake until caramelized.

There is nothing complicated in the preparation of Catalana cream. Now an exquisite Spanish dessert with a delicate taste, aroma of cinnamon and citrus will appear on your table. Bon Appetit!