Maple Crema
This recipe was recently published in the NY Times, and as soon as I read it there, I knew I had to try it. This is basically pure maple sugar in luxurious creamy form.
Looks almost like a créme brûlée, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled. Adding any more sugar atop this custard would be a huge mistake. In fact, we had to make massive quantities of unsweetened whipped cream to cut through the sweetness as is.
That said, with the sweetness so tempered, the flavor was marvelous. I feel absolutely drunk on maple, having eaten this crema, and on a sugar high that is almost enough to cut through the cold that is keeping me home sick today.
Maple Crema
(the NY Times’s adaptation from Gina DePalma of Babbo)
2 C maple syrup (ideally Grade B)
2 C heavy cream
1/2 C whole milk
6 large egg yolks
2 tsp granulated sugar
A pinch of kosher salt
Preheat your oven to 325º.
Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a very large saucepan. No, really, much larger than you think. You’ll be astonished by just how high the maple syrup froths up as it boils. Lower the heat and simmer until it is reduced to about 2/3 C.
Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cream and milk. Return it to the heat and bring to low simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and salt in a large bowl. Remove the maple cream from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes, then very slowly whisk it into the yolks. I like to pour in about 1/2 C to temper the yolks, whisking all the while, then, still whisking, slowly pour in the rest in a steady stream. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine-meshed sieve to remove any lumps of yolk.
Arrange 4-ounce ramekins about 3/4″ apart in a large flat-bottomed roasting pan. Evenly divide the custard among the ramekins, leaving about 1/4″ space at the top. Carefully add enough hot tap water to the roasting pan to come about 1/3-1/2 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the roasting pan lightly with foil, being careful to avoid letting the foil touch the tops of the ramekins.
Put the pan on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 35 minutes. Rotate the pan, then bake another 15 minutes or so. The custards are done when they seem basically set, and the centers jiggle only slightly.
Remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil, and let custards cool in water bath until you can safely pick them up (I adore using my silicon glove to remove them immediately from the boiling water without burning my hand). Let them cool to room temperature before refrigerating them for at least 4 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
Serve with plenty of unsweetened whipped cream. Believe me, you’ll need it to cut through the sweetness so that you can properly appreciate the flavor.
February 26th, 2007 at 10:02 am
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February 26th, 2007 at 10:10 am
That is some serious maple flavour, two cups of syrups! I love it.
February 26th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Oh my! This looks heavenly! And what gorgeous photos. Hope you feel better, Danielle!
February 26th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I love that drip!!! BTW, is that something you put in the crema (it looks like a piece of bread, dipped in?) or is that an illusion? Mmmmm… this does sound really delightfully tasty.
Feel better though
February 26th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
And happy blog birthday!
February 27th, 2007 at 4:09 am
That crema looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous! Your photos are fabulous…
February 27th, 2007 at 8:02 am
What mouth-watering photos! If some of this doesn’t make you feel better, I’m mot sure what will. ;)
February 27th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
Oh my…that looks stunning. I love the boards you have it setting on and the utensils and bowl you used. Fantastic!!
February 28th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
The bowl looks perfect next to the creme. I’ve never seen pottery like that, it’s beautiful.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
That ia too funny, I just prepped a lemon-coconut crema before coming to your blog…great minds….
This sounds absolutely delicious. Great photos!
February 28th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
That ia too funny, I just prepped a lemon-coconut crema before coming to your blog…great minds….
This sounds absolutely delicious. Great photos!
March 1st, 2007 at 11:13 am
You’ve been tagged :) http://feistyfoodie.blogspot.com/2007/02/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-me.html
March 4th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
[…] but it was definitely yummy. I wasn’t alone in wanting to make it though, this blog has the recipe and her pictures prove that I did not make it gooey by mistake. Like her, I also recommend serving […]
March 4th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
good flavor; but is it supposed
to be runny inside?
Think next time I will try
without milk.
March 5th, 2007 at 10:52 am
MMm…we get our grade B organic maple syrup from a co-op on the Vermont/New Hampshire border. Let me know if you need some and I’ll bring it back the next time we go up. This reminds me of a dessert we ate in Montreal last winter — so this must also go on the “must-try” list…
March 18th, 2007 at 9:33 am
[…] my partner, Dave. He was so delighted by the reduced maple syrup we had to create when making the maple crema that he wanted to use it as a cookie base as well. He threw in the rest of the ingredients by feel, […]
April 17th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
I tried this the other night for some friends. I have to say that it came out magnificently. I reduced the two women with whom I was eating into quivering, cooing lumps of happy with just one ramekin of this stuff.
Thanks so much for posting this. It really worked wonders.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
You are all wonderful.
And Russ, now, that is what I like to hear.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I tried this recipe with my boyfriend. We both loved it and it is a very rare occasion where we both enjoy the same food. I will definitely be using this recipe AT LEAST twice a week =) Yummy-yum!