Thanks to its proximity to Spain, Crema Catalana has long been a popular dessert classic in Austria too. Now this wonderfully creamy speciality is also available in Mexico – at Sabines Bakeaway, with my very own personal touch, of course: tonka bean.
The delicate cream with cinnamon, lemon and tonka bean is crowned with a wafer-thin, golden brown caramelized sugar crust. With the first spoonful, cool, creamy crema meets deliciously crunchy caramel – it's exactly this contrast that makes it so special.
Ingredients
Serves 8
- 12 fresh egg yolks (size M)
- 100 g brown sugar
- 1.5 l milk
- 100 g cornstarch
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- grated zest of 1 organic lemon
- ½–1 tonka bean, freshly grated
- 8–10 tbsp sugar for caramelizing
Method
Flavouring the milk – ideally the day before
- Put 1.5 l milk in a pot together with the cinnamon sticks, the grated lemon zest and the freshly grated tonka bean and bring briefly to the boil.
- Remove from the heat, let cool a little and then put it in the fridge, covered, overnight.
Preparing the egg yolk cream
- The next day, pour the flavoured milk through a fine sieve and remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon zest.
- Take 300 ml of the milk and stir the cornstarch into it thoroughly until smooth.
- Beat the egg yolks and 100 g sugar with the whisks of a hand mixer until thick and creamy. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
Cooking the cream
- Heat the remaining flavoured milk. Slowly work the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.
- Then return everything to the pot and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cornstarch binds and a nice creamy, thick consistency forms. Important: The cream must not boil, otherwise the egg yolks may curdle.
- Divide the finished cream between 8 ovenproof ramekins and let cool completely. Then chill in the fridge for several hours, ideally overnight as well.
Caramelizing
- Only just before serving, sprinkle each ramekin with about 1–1½ tbsp sugar.
- Caramelize the sugar evenly with a kitchen torch until a thin, golden brown and crunchy caramel layer forms.
Tips and Variations
Let the flavours infuse overnight
The longer infusion allows the flavours of cinnamon, lemon and tonka bean to develop wonderfully. It makes a clear difference in taste.
Easy to make ahead
Crema Catalana can easily be prepared a day ahead. In the fridge it can set in peace and the flavours become even more intense. The caramelizing, however, should always be done just before serving. That way the sugar crust stays nice and crunchy and forms the perfect contrast to the cool, creamy crema.
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