Crema catalana is a favorite dessert of the Catalans. Catalan cream: a classic recipe and its variants Preparation of a classic Catalan cream

A sweet tooth in a lifetime will not be able to taste all the desserts that exist in the world. But true gourmets always choose the most popular and only delicious treats... Today we will learn how to cook on home kitchen catalan cream. The recipe for making this dessert has been carried through the centuries by culinary experts, because for the first time such a delicacy was tasted in the 14th century.

What do 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 a bishop was supposed to taste a dessert similar to the famous crème brulee, the chefs spoiled it a little and made it too runny. To quickly fix the situation, I had to fill the dessert with a caramel crust.

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

Compound:

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

Preparation:

  1. From the above list, it can be seen that exquisite gourmet products are not needed to prepare a true Catalan dessert. Let's prepare them.
  2. We take a bowl and a peeler. Remove the zest from the lemon with a very thin layer.
  3. Put the citrus zest in a saucepan.

  4. Fill in lemon zest pasteurized cow's milk. Only we do not pour out the whole portion. We leave about ¼ part.
  5. Add a pinch of cinnamon powder.
  6. We put the milk on a moderate heat and heat it up.
  7. While the milk is warming up, separate the egg yolks from the whites.
  8. For the preparation of the Catalan cream, we only need the yolks. We put them in a deep bowl and add granulated sugar.
  9. Introduce sifted corn flour.
  10. Mix thoroughly with a hand whisk.
  11. Pour in the remaining pasteurized cow's milk.

  12. Add vanilla extract.
  13. Whisk thoroughly.
  14. In the meantime, our milk has already warmed up. You do not need to bring it to a boil.
  15. Constantly stirring the egg mass with a whisk, add the heated milk.
  16. Beat everything thoroughly again.
  17. Filter the resulting mixture through a fine sieve.
  18. Pour the strained mass into a thick-walled dish.
  19. We put on a moderate heat and boil 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. We leave the dessert until it cools completely.
  23. Then sprinkle it with a thin layer of granulated sugar.
  24. Using a hand torch, 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.
  26. A healthy dessert for the whole family

    You have already learned how to make a Catalan cream according to the classic Spanish recipe. As practice shows, how many chefs, so many opinions, more precisely, recipes. Here's another one interesting recipe, which 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.

Preparation:

  1. Pour 0.2 liters of chilled pasteurized cow's milk into a deep bowl.
  2. Pour into a milk base corn starch.
  3. Beat well with a hand whisk until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
  4. We break the eggs and carefully separate the yolks.
  5. We do not 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. Beat these ingredients well until a fluffy mass is obtained.
  9. Combine the resulting mass with milk and beat everything again.
  10. Rinse the lemon thoroughly under running water.
  11. Remove the zest with a fine grater.
  12. 800 ml cow's milk pour into a saucepan.
  13. We put it on the stove. Add bay leaves and citrus zest.
  14. We warm up the milk, but do not bring it to a boil.
  15. We filter the milk mixture in the usual way.
  16. We begin to beat the yolk mixture and add hot milk in a thin stream.
  17. Pour the whole mixture into a thick-walled dish.
  18. We put on minimum heat and cook until thickened.
  19. In no case should you boil this mass, otherwise the yolk will curdle and the dessert will not work.
  20. We take six heat-resistant molds.
  21. Pour hot milk mixture into molds. It turns out about 150 ml.
  22. Cool the cream and then move it to the refrigerator for 5 hours.
  23. We take the cream out of the refrigerator and sprinkle with cane sugar.
  24. We put the molds in the oven and grill until the granulated sugar turns into a caramel crust.

A modern interpretation of Catalana cream

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

Compound:

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

Preparation:

  1. Rinse citrus fruits thoroughly.
  2. Remove the zest with a vegetable peeler or grater.
  3. Combine the yolks with granulated sugar and beat thoroughly into a fluffy mixture.
  4. Into the same mass we introduce citrus zest and corn starch.
  5. Beat 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 it as described in the previous recipes.
  10. You can immediately sprinkle the cooled dessert with brown granulated sugar and bake until caramelized.

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

Catalan cream is a delicious Spanish dessert, analogous to French crème brлеlée. 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 consistency.

Sprinkle the finished chilled cream brown sugar and flambéed to get a caramel crust. I have not yet acquired such a device as a flambing burner, so I used my husband's lighter.

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

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 whisking. Drain a little milk and stir the starch in it.

Add the starch mixture to the saucepan along with vanilla sugar and, stirring vigorously, cook the cream until thick. 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. Put the cream in the refrigerator to cool.

When the cream is cooled, it should be sprinkled with brown sugar and turned into caramel using a flaming burner.

Serve Catalan Cream Immediately! For this dessert, if desired, you can serve fruits or berries.

Bon Appetit!

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

The British, French and Catalans argue about who really invented this dessert for the first time, and each, as usual, ascribes the 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 prepared 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, it is also mentioned in Catalan cookbooks Llibre de Sent Soví (14th century) and Llibre del Coch (16th century). However, it owes its name to one story that happened in the 18th century: the nuns of the Catalan monastery, awaiting the arrival of the bishop, decided to cook flan (a kind of pudding) for dessert, but it came out too thin. To save the day, the nuns decided to refine the dish with a caramelized sugar crust. When the dish was served, the crust was still hot, and the bishop, having tasted it, exclaimed: "Crema!"

Crema catalana has become popular festive dessert on the territory of Catalonia, it was traditionally prepared for the feast of St. Joseph on March 19 (in modern times, Father's Day in Spain is also celebrated on this day). That is why the cream has become an integral part of family festive dinners in Catalonia, it is mentioned in his work "Quadern gris" ("Gray 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 the 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, the 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, in modern recipes, cream is sometimes added, however, in Catalan lands, milk is not flavored with vanilla, as the French do in their creme brulee.

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

  • 1 liter of milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 100 g cream sugar and a little crust sugar
  • 40 g cornstarch
  • Peel of half a lemon (no white part)
  • Peel of half an orange (no white part)
  • Finger-sized cinnamon stick

Add lemon peel, orange peel and cinnamon stick to one liter of milk - this is how we will flavor it. Heat the milk over medium heat, then, without bringing it to a boil, remove from heat and leave under a lid for 30-60 minutes.

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

Pour through a sieve into egg mixture milk, mix well until smooth.

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

Ready cream once again we pass through a sieve. We pour it into separate portioned plates ( classic version- clay), cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

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


  • Before peeling the lemon and orange , they should be washed thoroughly, preferably with a brush. Also, you must not allow the white part of the peel to get into the dish, it has a very bitter taste that can ruin 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 vigorously 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 crisp texture.
  • What to do if there is no burner in the household? There is an exit. You can take a tablespoon or metal spatula (using a kitchen oven mitt or towel), heat it over the fire (red hot) and walk over the sugar until a crust forms. Another option is to place a chilled dessert sprinkled with a layer of sugar in an oven preheated to 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 wide 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 make a Catalan cream. This dessert, cold on the inside and hot on the outside, with a fragrant caramel crust will leave no one indifferent!

Description and history

Catalan (or Catalan) cream can also be found under the name Saint Joseph's Cream or simply Catalana. Spain is officially considered the birthplace of this amazing dessert. Thus, 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 traditional dish on the day of Joseph the Betrothed, which is celebrated on March 19. It was in honor of this saint that the dessert got its second name.

In its consistency, the Catalan cream is similar to the French crème brulee. However, it is prepared using milk, not cream.

Catalan cream: recipe with photo

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

Instructions

To begin with, you should remove it. It is most convenient to do this with a grater. Pour the resulting zest into milk. We put it on the stove and heat it up to 50 degrees. Separate the yolks from the whites. We put the first ones in a separate bowl. We don't need proteins, so we can use them to prepare another dish. So, pour sugar to the yolks and beat until a white foam forms. This is most conveniently done with a mixer.

Then add starch and warm milk to the whipped yolks. Mix and send to the stove. Cook the mixture over low heat. In this case, it is necessary to constantly stir the cream. When the mass thickens, add vanillin. Mix well again.

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

Serving and zest

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

Original dessert: baked apples with catalana cream

We bring to your attention an amazing recipe that will surely please your household and guests. To make mashed potatoes, we need the following components: a pound of apples and 50 grams of sugar. We will prepare the cream from such products 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 mashed potatoes. Peel the apples and cut them into halves. We spread them on a baking sheet and send them to an 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. Then add the whipped yolks, lemon and lime zest and cinnamon. Stir and start heating. The fire should be weak. Cook the cream until thick, 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 original dessert on the table. To do this, we need to put in the container applesauce, add the cream from the siphon and sprinkle a little with grated zest on top. Optionally, you can also sprinkle sugar on top of the dessert and create a caramelized crust using a cooking burner as described in the previous recipe.

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