Latte alla Portoghese al Caffe e Cioccolato

Espresso and Chocolate Creme Caramel

I have a thing for custard desserts. And caramel. And coffee. And somehow lately I have had a craving for chocolate. So there you go, as my sister Toni often says. And if you looking for a Valentine’s Day dessert, this is it.

In its simplest form, flavored with vanilla only, this is a classic dessert, one everyone ought to have in their repertoire. Known as Latte alla Portoghese (after the exiled Jews who left Spain through Portugal and brought this to Italy), Crema caramella, Creme caramel, Creme renversee au caramel and Flan, it seems everyone makes this. Little wonder, I say.

This is one to master for several reasons. First it tastes great. Beyond that it incorporates several techniques that once conquered, will open myriad doors in the world of desserts.

In the realm of pastry sugar alchemy is King. From sauces, candies, frostings, ice creams and baked goods, to golden window panes in fantasy houses and cages of spun caramel that hold a pastry chef’s masterworks, caramel is everywhere. And with a little practice you will gain confidence and find that it is quite simple to make.

A seamless wet caramel is a clear, pure sugar suspension with no crystals. For this you must use refined granulated sugar. No other sugar will do. Leave the blonde cane sugar, the brown sugar, the demerara sugar and all the rest for another project.

Choose your pan wisely. First, make sure it is clean. Pastry chefs often use an unlined copper pan like the one shown on the left. Made of copper with a generous integral spout, these pans are known for their even heating and ease of pouring. If you do not have such a pan, follow a few pointers to facilitate making caramel. Select a pan with a heavy bottom to ensure even heating, and be certain that the handle is firmly attached. Don’t use a pan with a dark interior; it will be difficult to see the sugar color, making you more likely to burn it. Use a pan with sides at least 4 inches high; the sugar splatters as it cooks, and it will get on your stove, counters and floor. I know. Picky. Picky. When I don’t use my unlined copper pan, I use a 4 quart straight-sided All-Clad Cop-R-Chef saucepan. The All-Clad is over thirty years old, and it performs as well now as the day I took it out of its box. Invest in solid well built cookware. It will last for generations.

To begin, measure sugar into a medium saucepan and pour water over to dampen it, making certain there is no dry sugar in the pot prior to engaging the heat. Over medium heat, melt sugar, swirling the pan occasionally. The rule is never stir, only swirl, and be willing to wait. Stirring will create seed crystals that will do nothing but beget more crystals. As sugar heats, some will splatter on the sides of the pan and evaporate, leaving crystals. There are two ways to deal with this: you can either use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash the crystals down, or cover the pan with a tight fitting lid allowing the steam inside the pan to wash the crystals down. If you go for the pastry brush, be certain the bristles are well attached or use one of the new silicone brushes. If you elect the lid method, peek at about 5 minutes to check on the color of the sugar. As the sugar continues to cook it will break down into various compounds, which combine to give caramel its gorgeous color and signature taste. Keep a good eye in this one. The sugar can burn.

It may take a few times to get the knack for making caramel. Don’t be discouraged. At first you may be a bit timid and wind up with a caramel that is too light. With a blonde caramel all you get is sweet, and it will overpower the dessert. For this dessert you need a dark caramel with its rich taste. On the other hand, as a novice you may allow the caramel to darken too much and burn, becoming bitter. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat once you see the tiniest bit of smoke. Working quickly, pour the caramel from the saucepan. Don’t be intimidated. A bit of practice and you will be a master.

I have said it before, but my caveat bears repeating. Make certain you use a pan you can control, and banish children and pets from the kitchen. The burns from hot sugar are fearsome. To clean the saucepan, fill it with warm water and allow it to stand, or fill it with water and bring to a boil. The caramel will dissolve quickly. For more details on how to make caramel see my article on Croccante di Natale.

Vanilla beans are the pods of an orchid plant, Vanilla Planifolia, a member of Orchidaceae, the largest group of flowering plants known to man. To use the whole bean, which imparts a true, rich vanilla flavor, slit it along its length using a paring knife. Open the bean and holding the top of the blade (not the cutting edge) at a 45 degree angle to the opened bean, slide the blade down scraping the seeds out of the bean. Add seeds and bean to the liquid to be infused. After infusing, the bean has done its work and may be discarded.

Next up – how to infuse liquids with flavoring agents. Easy. Pour liquid into saucepan, and add flavorings such as split vanilla beans or other agents, often in chopped or crushed form (such as chocolate, herbs, coffee, etc.) Stir. Next, scald liquid by heating to just under the boil, the point where small bubbles form around the outer perimeter of the pan. Remove saucepan from heat, cover and set aside, allowing the mixture to “steep” by leaving it undisturbed for ten to twenty minutes. Most often the liquid is strained to remove agents such as coffee beans, herbs, etc.

On to the bagna maria (bain marie), a gentle method of cooking where heat is transferred to the cooking vessel through hot water rather than through dry heat of the oven. Place the filled and ready to bake dish or mold into a larger baking pan (often a roasting pan.) Pour boiling water into the larger vessel to a level halfway up the sides of the filled baking dish. Place the bagna maria in a preheated oven to undergo a gentle baking. This technique is often employed for egg dishes such as custards and souffles, “molten lava”cakes and other tender baked goods. The gentle heat of the water ensures a smooth texture in the finished product with no grainy texture. If your recipe calls for a bagna maria, use one. Don’t skip it.

Latte alla Portoghese al Caffe e Cioccolato

1 large or 6 to 8 individual desserts

This recipe yields 3 cups of custard. For a large crema, I used a 7 1/2 inch souffle dish with a 1 1/2 quart capacity.

For the caramel
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons cold water

For the chocolate custard
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup espresso beans
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 oz. 71% dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
canola or sweet almond oil for baking dish

Optional: dark cocoa to dust for presentation (I recommend Pernigotti or Penzeys High-Fat)

Preheat oven to 300 F. (150 C.)

Make the caramel:

Set a medium bowl filled with ice water by stove. This is for you to plunge you hand into should you burn yourself with the upcoming caramel.

Pour a bit of canola oil or sweet almond oil into baking dish(es). Using paper towel, lightly coat bottom and sides of dish. Set aside.

Place sugar and water in medium saucepan, swirling to combine. Over medium heat, cook until you have a medium dark caramel, about 8 minutes, swirling pan occasionally. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash sides of pan where sugar has splattered OR cover pan until sugar thickens and begins to caramelize, lifting lid occasionally to check color. Remove from heat just as caramel begins to smoke and pour into prepared mold, turning to coat bottom and sides.

Make the custard:

Place coffee beans in plastic bag, and using a meat pounder, coarsely crush them. Don’t crush them too finely or you will be unable to strain them out prior to baking. In medium saucepan combine milk, cream, crushed espresso beans and split vanilla bean with its seeds. Scald mixture. Remove from heat, add finely chopped chocolate and stir to combine and melt chocolate. Cover pot and set aside to infuse ten minutes. Strain mixture through fine sieve or chinois, discarding vanilla bean and coffee.* If you are using vanilla extract, add it now.

While mixture infuses, beat eggs and sugar until thick and light, about 1 minute. Pour infused coffee and chocolate mixture into eggs, whisking lightly to avoid creating a foam. Any foam will not subside during baking, and will form an unpleasant tough layer on the custard.

Strain into caramel lined baking dish.

Place in bagna maria, and pour boiling water to fill halfway up sides of baking dish. For a large crema bake about 60 to 65 minutes, individual ones 35 to 50 minutes, depending on size of mold. When done, a paring inserted in center of custard will come out clean and center of crema will wiggle slightly when pan is tapped. Remove from bagna maria and place on rack to cool 1hour at room temperature. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight until set.

To unmold, dip crema in sink filled with very hot water to just above level of crema, being careful not to get any water in the dish, for about 10 to 15 seconds. To see if crema has loosened enough to unmold, hold it and rotate it clockwise and then counterclockwise. If you can see that the crema is loose from the sides of the baking dish, you are home free and can proceed to unmold it. If it has not come free, run a small knife around the outside of the crema to loosen it. Dry the bottom and sides of the mold and invert onto serving platter.

Optional finish: if you wish you can dust the crema with cocoa. After inverting onto serving platter, blot dry using lint free kitchen towels or paper towels. Put dark cocoa, such as Pernigotti or Penzeys High-fat, in fine small strainer, and moving above surface of custard, gently tap the strainer to release a gentle rain of cocoa.

*If you have a home garden, rinse the crushed coffee and place it in your garden for a great high nitrogen source for your plants.

Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.