Somewhere between Flan, Crème Brûlée, and Crème Caramel lies Crema Catalana. Oh, how we love our custard desserts. Rich, velvety, and deliciously satisfying.
Of all the custard desserts, Crema Catalana is the simplest. No clumsy water baths and juggling ramekins in and out of the oven. This citrus-infused dessert is brightly flavored and perfect for a quick dessert. Lighter than most custards, Crema Catalana is made with milk instead of cream and this version is made with coconut milk.
Special equipment: 10 5-ounce ramekins, blow torch or broiler, 10 parchment circles cut to size of the ramekins to prevent a skin from forming on the custards
Crema Catalana
Servings
10 Servings
Ingredients
- 5 cups canned coconut milk not light version
- 3 – 4 big fat strips of orange zest
- 3 – 4 big fat strips of lemon zest
- 1 whole vanilla bean split and essence and bean added to milk or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher or sea salt
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup sugar + a few teaspoons for bruleeing
- 8 egg yolks lightly whisked
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Whisk coconut milk, orange zest, lemon zest, vanilla bean, salt, cinnamon, and 1 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a simmer. Turn off the heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch and eggs yolks together. Whisk coconut milk mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time. Return mixture to the saucepan and over medium heat, whisk constantly until custard is very thick, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Pour through a strainer and divide between ramekins. Place parchment pieces over ramekins and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat broiler or gather your blowtorch! Remove parchment circles. Sprinkle tops with sugar and either place under broiler for a few minutes or torch until a golden sugar crust is formed.
- Serve Crema Catalana.
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