January 02, 2012 04:24 PM UTC
(Updated: January 02, 2012 04:33 PM UTC)
Although I like many different kinds of desserts, my personal preferences are for those with a custard or cream base. Whatever you call them; Bavarian Cream, Crème Anglaise, Flan, Crème Brulée, Natilla, Islas Flotantes, Crema Catalana, Leche Quemada...I love them all!
Â
For the last couple of weeks I've been playing with Crema Catalana...a Spanish sort of version of the French Crème Brulée originating in the Catalonia region of Spain (think Barcelona).Â
Â
Although many people think of Crème Brulée and Crema Catalana as the same dessert with different names, Crema Catalana is not as heavy nor rich as it's French relative.
Â
Crema Catalana or Burnt Cream or Leche Quemada as it is sometimes called, was originally a traditional dessert served to honor Saint Joseph on his 'Saint Day', March 19th. My son was born on March 19th and his Cuban (paternal) grandmother first introduced me to this tradition on my son's first birthday. She made it every year on his birthday while we were living with my in-laws.Â
Â
Saint Joseph's Day is nowhere near Christmas, but Saint Joseph is associated with Christmas...and following that logic, I decided to make it for the first time for our Christmas Eve dinner.
Â
My first try tasted good but it was a bit too thin and the amount of calamandin rind I used (instead of orange or lemon rind) was a bit too strong.
Â
My second try on Friday before New Year's Eve resulted in a bit creamier and thicker consistency and the citrus rind was a little more elusive.
Â
I don't have a
salamander (an iron disc attached to a handle which is heated and traditionally used to caramelize the sugar on top) nor do I have a culinary
butane torch used by many chefs, so I used the broiler part of my toaster-oven to caramelize the top of the first ones, which I served in ramekins.Â
Â
The second batch was served in my adorable little green glass pedestal cups and I didn't want to chance putting them under such high heat, so I made the caramel in a pan and poured it over the top of the crema. The results were not as delicately a crispy topping, but it tasted ok and it did 'crack or shatter' when tapped with a spoon.
Â
My two attempts just made me realize that if I'm going to make this dessert more often, I better get one of the butane torches to make my life easier.
Â
Crema Catalana
Â
2 cups milk (*)
1 short cinnamon stick
1 lemon rind (*)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup superfine sugar (*)
Â
Pour milk into a thick-bottomed saucepan, add the cinnamon stick, citrus rind and vanilla extract and bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes and then discard the cinnamon stick and citrus rind. Set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and add the cornstarch and 3/4 cup of the sugar, whisking until the mixture is creamy. Gradually pour this mixture into the saucepan with the warm milk, whisking continuously so as not to curdle the eggs.
Heat the mixture slowly until it begins to thicken, taking care that the mixture does not boil. Pour into ramekins, small individual clay paella type dishes or heatproof molds. Allow to cool, and refrigerate for several hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly over each ramekin or mold. If using a salamander, make sure it is red-hot. If using a blow torch, use now to caramelize the sugar.Â
If using a broiler, turn the broiler on before sprinkling the sugar on top of the dessert. Place the dishes under the broiler until the sugar topping begins to caramelize. Remove from the broiler and serve.
NOTES:
(*) I used one cup each of milk and whipping cream; the texture was silkier.
(*) I found that the rind of a whole lemon (or the equivalent in calamondin orange rinds which was what I used) was too much. I used only the rind of one small calamondin for my second try.
(*) Original recipe calls for caster sugar which I can't find here. Caster sugar is a superfine granulated sugar (not the same as powdered sugar) so I took a cup of regular granulated and put it through my small food processor with the metal blades and processed until quite fine.
Original article
Please provide details below to help Gather review this content. If it is found to be inappropriate and in violation of the
Gather Terms of Service, action will be taken.
You have successfully submitted a report for this post.
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
Comments: 53
A very Happy New Year to you and Stephen ...and sending wishes that you do come back to visit us again soon.
Thanks for posting your seasonal posts and photos to the group
THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
Have a Happy New Year
LOL
The second one I learned was flan made in the pressure cooker. Funny, I haven't made one in the pressure cooker for over 30 years!!!
I can just see you wielding that blow torch....! Careful don't burn the house down... Haha!
What kind of wafers are those.
The wafers are thin Moravian Ginger Snaps from Salem Moravian Village in Winston-Salem, NC - my niece and her husband who live in Winston send them to me at Christmas since they know I love them... ;-)
Do you think your niece and her husband will send some to me if they know I love them too? ;)
Those were my "grandfather's cookies". What he liked best about them was that his children didn't like them and then... well then there was me (He is also the reason that I know why pistachios are dyed red). Ginger snaps really weren't commercially available for the most part so we got them down at the local bakery. I will try to dig up the recipe and post it. They are a true ginger snap and not doughy ginger cookies as so many try to pass off as snaps.
These are not doughy at all...very fragile and light.
I also need a GOOD recipe for ginger bread!
What kind of "gingerbread" are you looking for? Something to build with or are you looking for more of a spice-cake kinda "gingerbread"?
When I lived in So. Florida and had my kitchen shop in Miami Lakes, we had a client who baked the traditional gingerbread type cake in loaves and always brought us one the week of Christmas. She never gave out her recipe :-( Hers were light and moist. One of these days I will find a recipe that wil turn out the light and moist loaves I remember...
Well the wafer one has to be floating around somewhere. Many of the gingerbreads and cakes were my own creations so those I would have to see if I had ever passed them along before. But in the mean time a tip on lightening up an otherwise heavy cake. Adding the active ingredients to the the rest of the dry goods at the beginning usually leads to over working it. Especially baking soda. Mixi all the ingredients leaving out the baking soda. When everything else is mixed and otherwise ready to go into the pan mix about 1 1/2 part vinegar or buttermilk with the baking soda in a small dish add to mixture and mix together quickly pour into pans and get into oven.
I refrained making a recommendation in the above recipe because I've read posts about "food snobs" and "recipe police" and I really don't want to be one. But... I would substitute the 3 tablespoons of corn star for one teaspoon (to start) of arrowroot.
Now, what gave you that idea!!! LOL
As to making the wafers....I wouldn't have the patience...but the gingerbread loaf is one I've tried to made several times and haven't found the right one yet...
I also like to play with fruitcake recipes, but I don't like citron so I try other combinations... I have a fairly large collection of assorted fruitcake recipes and have tried them all. One of these days I will find the one that is just right!
I have already put out an APB for my recipes so hopefully I will have them this weekend.
Thanks for the help in the hunt for a good gingerbread recipe!