In a pot, add your whole milk, vanilla, and lemon peel and slowly bring it to a boil over low-medium heat while whisking the milk to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

While your milk is coming to a boil, add 6 egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar to a bowl and mix to combine until the eggs are a pale yellow. Add in the cornstarch.

Once your milk is boiling, remove it from the stove. Take out the lemon peel and slowly add it to the egg mixture, about ½ a cup at a time and stir well. (Do this step slowly to prevent the eggs from cooking with the hot milk.)

After you have fully combined your egg and milk mixture, place it back on the stove over low-medium heat and stir until it thickens. About 5 minutes.

Prior to eating the crema catalana, sprinkle sugar on top (about a tablespoon) and using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar so that it becomes caramelized. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place them in the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, until the sugar is caramelized and brown. Serve and enjoy!