Crema Catalana

Pour 600ml of whole milk into a saucepan. Add a cinnamon stick and the peels of one orange and one lemon. Heat over low heat for 15-20 minutes, until warm but not boiling. Do not let it form a skin.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and let the milk infuse for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 60g of sugar until well combined.

Add 30g of cornstarch to the egg yolk and sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.

Remove the cinnamon stick and citrus peels from the infused milk. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Be careful not to scramble the eggs.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 15-20 minutes, or until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or directly into individual ramekins to ensure a smooth texture. Discard any solids.

Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until firm and cold.

Just before serving, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the surface of each chilled crema catalana.

Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until it forms a hard, amber-colored crust. Be cautious not to burn the sugar.