Inspired by the Spain Box from Try the World, I made the Crema Catalana recipe from their online magazine with my own twist to it.
The original recipe is below:
INGREDIENTS
- 4 egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2½ Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. milk
- Grated zest of ½ orange (or in my case honey!)
- Pinch of salt
- 4 Tbsp. P. Listo jam
- 4 Tbsp. sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl using a hand held mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons milk until the cornstarch dissolves.
2. In a saucepan, combine the remaining 2 cups milk, orange zest, and salt. Heat over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until small bubbles form along the edge of the saucepan. Once the bubbles appear, lower the heat to keep warm.
3. Add the egg and sugar mixture to the cornstarch mixture and whisk until homogenous. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly, until smooth and homogenous, then pour back into the saucepan. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a spoon, until it thickens, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
4. Pour the mixture into 4 ramekins, then cover and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 3 hours.
6. Remove the ramekins from the fridge and spoon 1 tablespoon of the jam onto each custard. Sprinkle with the sugar, then broil until the tops are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Note that instead of using orange zest, I added about a tablespoon of an organic lavender honey that I have newly acquired and which is absolutely delectable.
I had never cooked with ramekins before, so I bought mine from Crate & Barrel (only $2.95 per dish!) on the way home from work one day and am so excited to have them as a new addition to my kitchen!
I’m disappointed because I didn’t have a torch to really get the sugar bubbled and crispy, instead I broiled mine in the oven for a few minutes. They were still sweet and delicious though!
Enjoy ❤
C'est le Brie 