I don’t think there is a person alive that doesn’t like Crème Brûlée. Although now that I’ve said this, this is no doubt an invitation for someone to pipe up that they don’t. But let me argue this one variation for those a little jaded with Crème Brûlée. Crema Catalan is for those of you, who are a little tired of a vanilla, those who have had one too many with a non existent toffee crack. This Spanish version of Crème Brûlée is beautifully fragranced with orange zest, lemon zest and cinnamon.
I bought these gorgeous Italian Terracotta ramekins months ago with Crema Catalana in mind and promptly shoved them in the back of a kitchen cupboard only to rediscover them one afternoon cleaning up. I love this version of shopping, I call it shopping for things you’ve forgotten you’ve bought. Rediscovering purchases is a favourite pastime of mine as the thrill of buying repeats itself and of course you end up loving everything as you chose it in the first place.
I know that buying a blowtorch might seem a waste of money, and given that I use it only a few times a year, perhaps it is, but for some reason I’ve never been able to caramelise a Crème Brûlée under a grill properly. I think that perhaps I get too impatient and stick it under the grill before it becomes requisitely scorching hot. The grill element is also quite high in comparison to the tray so the Crème Brûlée ends up overcooked and the sugar just only slightly caramelised. Although many recipes say that you can do this under a grill so by all means try it there before shelling out for the heavy duty equipment. I admit I am a little frightened of using my blowtorch as I am just too clumsy for it. I also feel like I need a Welder’s mask and of course my train of thought immediately goes to Flashdance and before I know it I’m singing the Flashdance theme and pretending to be a welder cum dancer. And thus you can see why I shouldn’t be wielding a blowtorch. And why I close the curtains when I do so.
Crema Catalana (Catalan Crème Brûlée)
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Serves 4
- 300m/10fl ozs cream
- 300ml/10fl ozs full fat milk (don’t even think about skim!)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon if pressed for time
- 4 egg yolks (from large eggs)
- 80grams/2.8 ozs caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar for toffee
1. Place cream milk, cinnamon stick and the two zests is a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and if stand for 1 hour. When I don’t have an hour to wait I use ground cinnamon which imparts the flavour quickly.
Infused cream
2. With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and the 80grams/3ozs of caster sugar until pale , thick and fluffy. Add the cornflour and beat until combined and all lumps have disappeared.
3. If the fragrant cream mixture has been infusing for an hour, bring it back to the boil and then strain it through a sieve into a bowl. If not and it’s still warm, just strain it through a sieve into a bowl.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of the warm cream mixture to the eggs and stir to incorporate, then add the rest of the cream mixture. Return this to the saucepan on a low heat, the lower the better but it will require patience. Heat on low stirring constantly until the mixture it thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon i.e. a custardy texture (about 5 minutes).
5. Pour into 4 x150-175ml ramekins and when cooled place in fridge overnight or for at least 4-6 hours until chilled.
6. Just before serving, make a toffee crust by sprinkling a tablespoon full of the extra caster sugar onto the top evenly ensuring that the whole surface is coated with sugar and using a blowtorch, caramelise it. The toffee won’t stay hard forever so don’t do this too ahead of time as a lack of toffee crunch in a Brûlée, I believe, is why ancient wars were started.
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58 Comments | Add your own
Just gorgeous!!! I think my fiancee would be suitably impressed if I told him I was taking my cooking to the next level and required a blowtorch- plus it would mean a trip to Bunnings so he would be happy for days
Far be it for me to say I don’t like Creme Brulee – I love it!!! And the ramekins tone wonderfully with the contents.
lovelovelove citrus & spice in custards. delicious photos.
and you got to keep your eyebrows! that is one impressive looking blowtorch
Those photos of the cracked top look amazing! It’s almost cruelty for us readers that we can see and read about them, but not eat one IMMEDIATELY! (Even more so for me, as I’ve not had breakfast yet and I’m ravenous). I would be nervous using a blowtorch, too (lol at you using it with the curtains closed!)…
OH MY GOD. Don’t do this to me so early in the morning *drools*.
Creme brulee is just not the same without the crackling sugar top! I’d be scared of a blowtorch too, but I read that you can use the back of a large metal spoon, heated over a gas flame. It blackens the spoon, though.
The grilling of a creme brulee (or catalana) has never worked for me either. Go the blowtorch, I say!
Can’t wait to try this one, the flavours sound incredible. I love a good creme brulee.
This is one of my favourite desserts!!! Looks so creamy…yum yum
I think I need to buy the ramekins and the torch – this looks amazingly delicious!
That looks so delicious – and my bf LOVES creme brulee so I may have to borrow someone’s blow torch and pluck up the courage to make this myself. It might be easier on all of us if you just opened your own store so I can buy it from you
They look delicious and the ramekins are beautiful.
I’ve always wanted a culinary blowtorch but do not have enough room for all my gadgets as it is.
Having used a grill once to caramelise the top of creme brulee I think the blowtorch is the way to go as the ramekins get so hot!
What kind of blow torch is that? One from a hardware store or just those that I see being sold in kitchenware shops? I have been wanting one but I also want one that will definitely crisp the top.
On a related note I had creme brulee in a restaurant once where they just sprinkled some caramel syrup on top! No caramelised sugar and no crunch. When I queried it, I was told that I am mistaken that it needs to be crunchy.
What rot! Hate it when ‘they’ think they know best because they own a restaurant!
I think that creme brulee looks so good! But I don’t like egg custards and that is what creme brulee is. I didn’t like my grandmother’s egg custard pies and I am sure I would never like creme brulee.
I love the idea of the crispy caramel top but I regret to say I am the person you predicted would say they disliked creme brulee – too much cream, eggs and sugar – and not enough chocolate or fruit!
In fact I couldnt be bothered even tasting it on a tasting plate at a restaurant last month – not a dessert that can remotely interest me! (Other than the image of you with the blowtorch!)
Ohh yummmmmmmm that is brilliant mmmm I really want to give this a go.. Hhahah I agree, lack of the toffee crunch would start a war in my house XD
You’re right. Ancient wars abound from flimsy topped brulées! Sounds amazing. The zest is a beautiful pop for the taste buds.
Crema Catalan, much nicer than your run of the mill Crème Brûlée!
there’s nothing so disappointing as your spoon sinking into that sugary top without the cracking noise.
your Crema Catalan looks lovely, Lorraine.
wow. yum.
and i am so glad that noone (as yet) has denied that they love creme brulee!
Shopping in the cupboard can be so surprising can’t it. There’s nothing quite like moving house to unearth all sorts of weird things. The creme brulee looks divine!
My stomach is growling. Can I have some, pretty please…? I’ve never fully mastered the art of creme bruleeing, whether on the stove or in the oven, I was wondering if you had a temperature by which the texture is right? Mine either never set up or become eggy…
Ooooooh yum! I was given a blowtorch for my birthday, so will definitely bust it out for the first time and try this receipe soon. Looks fabulous!
Hm terra cotta ramekins. Gotta add that to the shopping list!!
I have never made creme brulee but your words (and photos) have inspired me to look into the cost of a kitchen blowtorch.
In my house Crema Catalana was served from cups, where the toffee is used to line the cups and then on serving the whole pudding cut from the cup and turned inside out with the coffee turned to caramel sauce.
Im drooling on the floor here..need to find some of this. Im with Forager.. please open a shop!
^Amaya above i think you mean creme caramel. Thats different from creme brulee.
Ooh the teracotta ramekins are pefect for the creme brulee!
Oh yum! I’ve been meaning to buy myself a blow torch too. Really need to get one soon. Where did you get yours from?
That looks so creamy and good!
Oh my god…I think everything tastes better with the addition of orange – flan de naranja, crema catalana….
Viva espana!
I’ve been meaning to try making creme brulee for a while (which I’ve never tried, due to the lack of half-decent restaurants around here). I even bought a kit complete with torch – but can’t find anywhere that sells butane for it. Every time I ask they try to sell me zippo fluid.
Hi NQN. Congratulations on an inspiring blog. I’m a strange one in that I love creme brulee, except for the topping – something about the feel of it against my teeth.
This would have to be my all time favourite, although I try not to have it tooooo often.
that’s a beautiful toffee crust…and yes creme brulees without that crust should be banned! it’s just such a disappointment to order a creme brulee at the end of the meal and have a dessert come out that just looks like custard and nothing else…
looks super creamy… The caramelized sugar on top is beautiful. Make me drool !!!
This is my project for the weekend
Also,I adore creme brulee and would love to know what other brulee infusions have been successful, readers?
Thus far I have attempted earl grey, rosemary and lavender – palatable, but all could do with improvements…
Hello Lorraine, this crema catalan looks delicious! I have a soft spot for really good crema Catalan! I have the same little brulee brander! MMMMM…
oooh–crusty AND creamy. a double whammy. just swell.
Hi sandra-Haha definitely if Bunnings is involved I think men are so much more impressed!
Hi Cakelaw-Thanks! Yes as soon as I saw them I thought “Crema Catalana!” I may have even said that out loud but of course noone knew what I was on about
Hi Shez-They go so well, I think I prefer this to creme brulee! And lack of explosion or singeing is always a good thing.
Hi Angela-Aww sorry!
I’m so nervous using one, I suppose it’s the same part of me that’s scared of using gas stoves even though I know how good they are 
Hi Sarah-Hehe I’m very sorry!
Hi belle-Yes at some places they haven’t had any crackly top-usually where bulk brulees are made like buffets
Ah interesting and good to know! I think I’ve heard of that but never tried it myself.
Hi Y-Good to know, well if it hasn’t worked for you, then I don’t feel so silly
Hi Lisa-Yes and it doesn’t require an oven too!
Hi pigpigscorner-Thankyou so much!
Hi Barbara-I have a couple of sets of ramekins and I find them quite useful. More useful than I would ever thought them to be
Hi Forager-Haha I would love that! How cool would an NQN store be? And of course we’d have to have this dish
Hi aussiehen-Thankyou! I thought they were really cute
I feel the pain with too many kitchen gadgets but my solution is to move somewhere bigger rather than get rid of them 
Actually you’re right, the ramekins and therefore the custard cooks and becomes an undesirable texture.
Hi Shants-It’s a Masterclass Pro one that I bought from David Jones. It was $50 from memory. There was one half the price but I know that this one definitely crisps on top. I bought a fuel refill too which it goes through quite quickly!
Arrrgh that is terrible! That is terrible to try and tell the customer something that is just wrong.
Hi Julia-Thanks!
Perhaps if you try it then you can tell if you would like it? I can’t imagine many not liking this, Creme Brulee perhaps but this is infinitely better.
Hi Johanna-Uh oh!
But have you had some bad ones that have put you off?
Hi Ffichiban-You must! A guy surely needs no motivation to pick up a blowtorch
I get very upset if there is no crunch!
Hi The Duo Dishes-Hehe yes Im sure I read it in a textbook somewhere
I adore citrus zest and paired with cinnamon, it’s an amazing combination:)
Hi the projectivist-Yes my heart sinks when there’s no resistance, no crunch. I think you’d be perfectly entitled to send it back too! Thankyou so much!
Hi Lindsey clare-Thankyou! Hehe we did have 1 person that wasn’t a brulee fan
Hi Arwen-Yes I love it! It’s shopping x2
Thankyou very much 
Hi Chris-Sadly it is all gone now
Hubby loved it and ate it quickly-faster than I could torch it! 
Hmm a good question, I don’t know the answer, I usually just see from the texture but I think the addition of cornflour helps it set?
Hi Claire-Ah great birthday present! Thankyou so much
Hi justJENN-I admit I don’t see them that often, I usually see the plain white ones but they’ll still do the job
Hi Theresa-I think that one can be bought for about $25-$30 up to $50 at department stores. Not sure about Bunnings or actual hardware stores though!
Hi Amaya-That sounds like a creme caramel. Creme brulee has a hard toffee layer at the top. I like both but out of the two the toffee layer wins me over every time.
Hi Aubrey-hehe I’d love to!
Yes it definitely sounds like creme caramel to me too.
Hi Kathy-They are aren’t they! They mirror the colours well
Hi Maria-I bought mine from David Jones for $50 by the Masterclass Pro brand
Hi Kevin-Thankyou so much!
Hi Karen-Yes very true, I thin it helps cut through cream well and gives it a delicious fragrance!
Hi anna- We bought ours from a tobacconist. It’s called Maquarie Butane Fuel Refill 275ml. Hope that helps!
Hi Sue-Thankyou so much!
Hehe you’re the opposite to me, I eat the toffee and leave a lot of the cream part behind 
Hi Linda-I know what you mean-it’s not very healthy I know
Hi Alexandra-Thankyou! I agree, and I think you could send it back. After all creme brulee is means burnt cream!
Hi Bena Sprout-Thankyou so much, that’s very kind of you to say
Hi Jared-Ah brilliant! PLMK how it goes
Interesting variations, would love to try them!
Hi Sophie-Me too, a good Crema Catalan is not to be passed up. Ah cool, it’s a pretty good torch but I wish that it was slightly clearer on how to operate it (which direction and which order things go in and the lock isn’t v clear). I always forget as it’s always so long between uses
Hi grace- yup indeedy both! It just isn’t right if you don’t have both
ha!! using a blowtorch and flashdance – wouldn’t have connected the two but i totally get it! i love, love crema catalana. i’m totally obsessed w/ all things spain but yours looks fabulous.
Oh man!! I want to pick up that spoon and taste just a little. I’m on a diet, so just a little taste would be wonderful. Looks great!
Ive never heard of this before, but it really sounds like something I would love!
This looks fantastic!!! And I love the picture.. the colours and the way the cream runs.
there’s nothing like that satisfying tap where you hit the scorched layer with a spoon so that you can get to the oozy sweetness underneath….hyuuum.
Ooh, I love the cinnamon and orange zest in this. And that slightly burnt look on top is to die for. Great recipe; thanks!
Hi we are never full-haha cool! I didn’t want people thinking I was mental. Well my neighbours I’m sure already do…
Hi Chuck-Yes a long, savoured taste is enough although I admit I ate quite a bit of it too!
Hi finsmom-It’s one of those desserts that you try and wonder why it took you so long to make it. It did that for me
Hi Melissa-I was praying with all my might for a good toffee crack and I was so relieved when I got it
Hi reddoorred-Yes and conversely there’s nothing worse than cracking it with a spoon onto to hear nothing back. It makes me very sad and mad
Hi Angela-You’re welcome! I loved the combination so much
Have I ever mentioned Creme Brulee is my favorite? Which reminds me…I have a new variation to try.
P.S. I love my culinary torch, although the first time I used it I was a bit scared. Alas, I did not burn anything down!
Hi Sandie-Ahh if you’re a fan of brulee, might I say that you’ll love this?
Yes it’s a bit scary at first isn’t it!
Yum. yum yum yum yum yummmmmm.
YUM YUM YUM.
YUM.
YUMMY!
Hi, This recipe looks great, I wish to do it at a dinner party for 8. Will this recipe double well?? Thanks!
Wauw,,,, realy. Just seing it makes me feel like i’m in Europe again, Surrounded by flowers en vanilla smell. Wonderfull, thank you.
My partner is allergic to diary products, creme brulee/crema catalana his favourite. I made this recipe replacing the milk and cream with 600mls of single low fat soya cream – it was delicious, half the calories, no cholestorol, and served it to friends who didn’t notice it wasn’t the full fat cows version.
My cousin made this for me tonight- so very very good! Love the subtle flavours, it’s not too overpowering.
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