Tocinillo de cielo
A delicious baked egg yolk and caramel dessert. Tocinillo de cielo translates as ‘fat from heaven” and let me tell you: it is indulgent!
INGREDIENTS
200 g sugar
100 ml water
5 egg yolks
1 egg
strip of lemon zest (optional)
¼ cinnamon stick
For the caramel3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
Preparation
Find a small ovenproof dish for this dessert – it’s very sweet so you only make it in small quantities. Put the sugar and water for the caramel into the dish and place over a medium heat until it turns to caramel and is a lovely golden colour. Swirl the caramel all over the bottom of the dish and a little up the sides. Set aside.
Put the sugar, water, lemon zest and cinnamon stickinto a small pan over a medium heat. When it comes to the boil, let it bubble for a further 5 minutes or until when grabbing a spoon and let in the syrup run down form a consistent and thin string. Take off the heat , wait for 5 minutes to cool down and infuse and discard the lemon zest and cinnamon stick.
Very gently whisk together the egg yolks with the whole egg – you do not want to create any froth. Pour the cooled syrup into the egg mixture in a thin, steady stream, whisking as you do so. Keep whisking until it is completely incorporated. Pour this mixture into the caramelled dish or individual moulds and place them inside a deep-sided roasting tin. Pour in a couple of fingers’ depth of cold water (to create a bain marie) and put the whole thing in a cold oven. Turn the temperature to 160°C/gas mark 3 and cook for 45 minutes or until set. Take care not to overcook – it should still have a slight wobble.
Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. To turn out, run the point of a knife around the edge of the dish and then turn out on to a plate. Do not eat too much of this as it is extremely calorific, but it is a real treat.
