Home Cook Together. Celebrate Life.

PortugueseAuthentic Cuisine

Leite-Creme Queimado

Serves 4 to 6 Dessert vegetarian, Desserts

Leite-Creme Queimado

Leite-Creme Queimado is a cherished Portuguese dessert, often gracing the table after family dinners or festive gatherings. While its origins are modest, this creamy custard captures the essence of home cooking across Portugal, where no feast feels complete without it. The dish reflects the everyday kitchen's embrace of simplicity and tradition, with ingredients measured by intuition rather than scales.

The result is a luscious, silky custard that whispers with the warmth of lemon and cinnamon. Its crowning glory, a caramelized sugar crust, shatters with a satisfying crack under the spoon. Each bite delivers a comforting dance between creamy and crisp, perfect for ending a meal with a touch of sweetness.

Ingredients

  • 1 Lwhole milk
  • 8egg yolks
  • 200 gsugar
  • 40 gcornstarch
  • 1strip of lemon peel
  • 1cinnamon stick
  • 100 gsugar — for burning the top

Method

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 liter of whole milk, 1 strip of lemon peel, and 1 cinnamon stick. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it is just about to simmer, but do not let it boil. This step infuses the milk with the flavors of lemon and cinnamon, which are essential for the traditional taste of Leite-Creme Queimado.
  2. While the milk is heating, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together 8 egg yolks, 200 g of sugar, and 40 g of cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and pale. The cornstarch will help thicken the custard, while the sugar and eggs provide richness and sweetness.
  3. Once the milk is infused and warm, remove the lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. This tempering process is crucial to ensure a smooth custard without lumps.
  4. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and place it over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, ensuring you reach the corners of the pan, until the custard thickens. The custard is ready when it coats the back of the spoon and leaves a clear line when you run your finger through it.
  5. Pour the thickened custard into a shallow serving dish or individual ramekins. Allow it to cool at room temperature until a skin forms on the surface, which should take about 15-20 minutes. This step is important for the custard to set properly before caramelizing the top.
  6. Sprinkle 100 g of sugar evenly over the surface of the cooled custard. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until it is golden brown and forms a hard, glassy crust. If you don't have a torch, you can place the dish under a hot grill for a few minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.
  7. Allow the caramelized sugar to cool for a few minutes until it hardens. Serve the Leite-Creme Queimado at room temperature to enjoy the contrast between the creamy custard and the crisp, burnt sugar topping.
Cover of Authentic Portuguese Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Portuguese Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Portuguese Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Portuguese volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Buy the cookbook on Amazon Explore Portuguese cuisine