Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

Cornish Burnt Cream

Cornish Burnt Cream is a traditional English recipe (from Cornwall) for a classic dessert of layers of thick custard and clotted cream topped with an egg white meringue that's browned in the oven or beneath a grill before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic English version of: Cornish Burnt Cream.

prep time

60 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

80 minutes

Serves:

6–8

Rating:

Tags : Dessert RecipesBaking RecipesBritish RecipesEnglish RecipesCornish Recipes

This is an unusual Cornish version of layers of custard and cream that are served cold but which is topped with a meringue that is hot (basically a fore-runner of a Baked Alaska) that dates back at least to early Victorian times (note the use of custard and citron powder). The citron powder may not be a common ingredient today, but you can produce something close by drying tangerine peel, powdering this in a coffee grinder and then storing this for use.

Ingredients:

900ml thick custard
600ml clotted cream
citron powder (or tangerine powder)
caster sugar
4 egg whites
crushed ice for chilling

Method:

For this recipe you will need a pair of aluminium pudding basins. The second of these must be smaller than the first and should be able to fit inside the first one with a 1cm gap all the way around.

Pour a layer of the custard into the base of the smaller basin so that it's about 1cm thick. Now add a layer of clotted cream that's the same thickness. Repeat this layering process until the custard and clotted cream have both been used up (finish with a layer of cream).

Sprinkle over some citron powder then add a dusting of caster sugar to thinly cover the top. Beat the egg whites in a clean and dry bowl until stiff then use this to cover the top of the custard and cream layers.

Now sit the filled smaller pudding basin inside the larger one and pack the gap between them with crushed ice.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 240°C and bake for 2 1/2 minutes, or until the meringue is browned, but the layers are not hot.

Serve immediately.