Crema Catalan is a dessert right from Spain and sharing awesome photo’s of Spain too! 

Our Culinary Journey Around the World is in Spain to enjoy some recetas deliciosas (delicious recipes) plus highlights from my daughter, Madi’s, recent trip to Spain!  We’ve been sharing some delightful Spanish recipes, like Ropa Vieja with Cuban Rice!  This week we’re happy to be adding a lovely dessert, Crema Catalan. The photo’s are on dishes that Madi brought back from Spain.  SO fun!! 🙂 

Crema Catalan is served in Spain with or without the crunchy-crispy caramelized top crust. . . I personally LOVE it but apparently some are not quite so fond of it?!  It’s also served in Spain with the custard still warm and the caramelization is a must in my book. 🙂

This dessert is typical of the Catalan cuisine and is associated with the festival of Saint Joseph, it’s also known as “Saint Joseph’s Cream”. 

Crema Catalan is a lot like the creme brulee that we adore here in the states but with a couple of lovely flavor additions like a lemon peel and a cinnamon stick!  It’s quite enchanting if I do say so myself and I’m sure you’ll find it every bit as dreamy too.

My little Miss Madi is here to share some of the sights from Madrid, Spain with us today… 

This cute little chocolate factory can be found in Plaza Espana in Madrid! It was founded in 1894 and was a “must see” on my professors list! Once we tried the churros, we all knew why! This factory is famous for it’s churros and chocolate! It was packed with people going in and out, eating outside, and downstairs. I wish I would of gotten a picture of the waiters carrying one try on one hand with 20 cups of chocolate stacked high with baskets of churros on top. It was amazing! 

Above are pictures of the Botanical Gardens! They were so well kept and groomed. It was very relaxing to walk through them after a long day of being out on the town. Fun side note, my friend Randi (pictured below on the left) got engaged in these gardens! Her boyfriend, Miles, planned the whole thing and a group of us were in on it. Randi had been looking forward to seeing the Botanical Gardens the whole trip and Miles proposed to her right where she said, “This is my favorite spot of all the gardens”. It was beautiful and made for a great surprise! My professor said that they had two new firsts this trip; 1. a proposal and 2. a 6 month pregnant woman. 🙂 

My friends and I enjoyed trying all different types of drinks in Spain! 

On our last night in Madrid, we went to see a fight. It was the first of the season and poured rain for about 15 minutes and then luckily, the sky cleared. It was a really interesting experience for me. I know the bull fight is very symbolic for the Spaniards. Once I saw it, I wanted to know more about it and what it means to them.

Thanks for exploring Madrid with me! See you again next week! 

Crema Catalan is a decadent dessert rooted in the traditions of Spain and loved around the world! 

We hope you have an amazing Wednesday!! 

Much Love and Peace~

Madi & Ruthie

Yield: 4

Crema Catalan

Print

Crema Catalan is a dessert right from Spain and sharing awesome photo's of Spain too! 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 pieces of lemon peel
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. In a medium size sauce pan combine milk, lemon peel, cinnamon stick and bring just to a boil; immediately remove from heat, cover and allow to slightly cool.
2. In a mixing bowl combine egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar; using a hand mixer beat for 3-4 minutes until thick and light.
3. Sprinkle on cornstarch; mix to combine.
4. Add 3 tablespoons of warm milk mixture; 1 tablespoon at a time- mixing with each addition.
5. Slowly whisk yolk mixture into milk mixture; remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
6. Whisk over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes or until thickens- do not allow to boil.
7. Ladle into individual serving dishes, sprinkle with remaining sugar, torch with kitchen torch or place under broiler on high heat to caramelize.
8. Serve and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 0gSugar: 44gProtein: 7g