Portuguese Leite Creme with Burnt Sugar Top

What you need

• 1 l (4 cups) whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 40 g (5 tbsp) cornstarch
• 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar, plus about 3 tbsp for the top
• 2 strips of lemon peel, yellow part only, no white pith
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ground cinnamon, for dusting, optional

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   In a saucepan, whisk the yolks and cornstarch with 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) of the cold milk until smooth.

2. 2

   Stir in the rest of the milk, the sugar, lemon peel and cinnamon stick.

3. 3

   Set the pan over medium heat and stir constantly, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens and just begins to bubble, 10-12 min.

4. 4

   Let it bubble gently for 1 min, still stirring, so the cornstarch cooks through. Take the pan off the heat.

5. 5

   Lift out the lemon peel and cinnamon stick. If you see any lumps, whisk hard or pass the custard through a sieve.

6. 6

   Pour into a shallow serving dish or into 8 small ramekins.

7. 7

   Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 h until set.

8. 8

   Sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over the surface. Burn it with a kitchen torch until dark amber, or press a very hot metal skewer or salamander iron onto the sugar.

9. 9

   Dust with ground cinnamon if you like and serve within an hour, while the crust is still brittle.

Imported from feed.continente.pt. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.