200ml milk
300ml thickened cream
4 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
25g corn flour
10g plain flour
1 cinnamon quill
1 vanilla bean
zest of one lemon
plain white sugar to serve

Combine milk and cream, cinnamon, vanilla bean [cut in half and scraped out] and lemon zest in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil. Whisk together sugar and yolks in stainless steel bowl, then mix plain flour and corn flour, add to egg yolk-sugar mix and combine well, without lumps.

Gently pour hot milk-cream mix through a strainer over egg-sugar mix and mix well with a whisk without creating bubbles.

Return to saucepan [or even better, use a clean saucepan!] and while stirring constantly cook to 80-82 deg [when it just starts to bubble] until thickened.

Pour evenly into ramekin dishes [either earthen ware or porcelain] and gently ‘knock down’ onto a tea towel to flatten surface. Cool down uncovered in refrigerator until set firmly.

When ready to serve sprinkle surface thinly with plain white sugar [do not use caster sugar, icing sugar or brown/raw sugar] and use a blow torch or hot stamp iron to caramelize the sugar.

Delicioso!