Crema paradiso

Crema paradiso is a delightful spoon dessert, very similar to pastry cream but enriched with whipped cream, which gives it a light and velvety consistency. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 250 ml of milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 75 g of sugar
• 25 g of flour
• 1 vanilla pod (or vanilla extract)
• 200 ml of fresh cream to whip

Preparation

1. Start by heating the milk in a saucepan with the split vanilla pod to let the seeds out (or add the vanilla extract). Bring almost to a boil then turn off the heat.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until you have a frothy and light mixture. Then add the sifted flour and mix until smooth.
3. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk (if you used one) and pour the hot milk over the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring constantly.
4. Pour the content back into the pot and cook over low heat, continuing to stir, until the cream thickens and reaches the desired consistency. Be careful not to let it boil to avoid the egg curdling.
5. Transfer the cream to a bowl and cover it with cling film in contact to prevent the formation of a skin. Let it cool completely.
6. In the meantime, whip the cream until it is firm.
7. When the cream is cold, gently fold the whipped cream with movements from the bottom up so as not to deflate it.
8. Crema paradiso is now ready and can be served in small cups or used as a filling for sweets.

You can serve the crema paradiso as it is or accompanied by crispy biscuits, fresh fruit, or a dusting of bitter cocoa.

Curiosity

Although the name might evoke the idea of a heavenly sweet, the origin of the naming of this cream is actually humble. The term “paradiso” may derive from the fact that the lightness and delicacy of the cream resemble the characteristics that are ideally attributed to Paradise.