Portuguese Milk

Portuguese Milk, also known as “Leite de Creme” in Portugal, is similar to the Spanish “Crema Catalana” and is a dessert made from milk, egg yolks, and sugar.

Ingredients

• 500 ml of whole milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Peel of 1 lemon
• 100 g of white sugar
• 30 g of flour
• 6 egg yolks
• Brown sugar for caramelizing

Preparation

1. In a small pot, heat the milk with the cinnamon stick and lemon peel until it is almost boiling. Then remove it from the heat and let it infuse for about 15 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the white sugar and beat until you get a light and frothy mixture.
3. Add the flour to the mixture of eggs and sugar and mix until you get a smooth cream.
4. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel from the milk, then gradually add the hot milk to the mixture of eggs, sugar, and flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
5. Transfer the mixture back into the pot and cook over low heat, continuing to stir, until the cream thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Pour the cream into bowls that can go under the grill of the oven or withstand the heat of a kitchen torch.
7. Let the cream cool to room temperature, then put it in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.
8. When serving, sprinkle the surface of each bowl with brown sugar and caramelize it using a kitchen torch or by placing the bowls under the preheated oven grill until the sugar turns into a crunchy golden layer.

Curiosity

Portuguese Milk is often served during the holidays, especially at Christmas. It is also a very popular dessert in restaurants and pastry shops throughout Portugal. The final caramelization of the sugar is the touch that makes it special, giving it that characteristic crunchy and golden crust on top of the soft and smooth cream.