Natillas

Name: Natillas
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 Egg yolks; 500 ml Milk (any kind); 100 g Caster sugar (normal or golden); 30 g Corn flour; 2-3 drops or ¼ tsp Vanilla extract or vanilla paste; 2 strips Lemon peel; 1 Cinnamon stick (optional); 2 tsp Cinnamon

Love Baking Over a year ago 3,293 views

Cook: 12 mins

Serves: 4

Spanish Dessert

Ingredients

2 Egg yolks
500 ml Milk (any kind)
100 g Caster sugar (normal or golden)
30 g Corn flour
2-3 drops or ¼ tsp Vanilla extract or vanilla paste
2 strips Lemon peel
1 Cinnamon stick (optional)
2 tsp Cinnamon

Accompaniment

Description

A very simple dessert, commonly found in Spanish restaurants and family homes. Delicious.

Method

1
Briefly whisk together 60ml milk with the egg yolks and the corn flour.
Put the rest of the milk in a saucepan, add the sugar, vanilla, lemon peel (just use a potato peeler to remove a couple of strips from the length of a lemon) and cinnamon stick if you have one*. Put the pan over a low heat, and stir continuously for 3 - 4 minutes until it is hot, but before it boils.
Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture in the bowl, whisking, then pour back into the pan. Over a medium heat, bring to the boil, stirring continuously (about 4-5 minutes), then immediately turn down the heat to low and stir continuously for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Take out the lemon peel (and cinnamon stick, if used).
Pour into 4 ramekins / other small dishes (or one large serving dish). Leave to cool, dust generously with cinnamon then chill in the fridge until serving.

Chef's Tips

In Spain, they sometimes top with a 'Maria' biscuit whilst still warm. If you can't get these, Rich Tea are similar. Lay the biscuit flat on top, and chill. Or, serve with other biscuits alongside.

* You can play around with the combination of vanilla, lemon and cinnamon flavourings to your taste / depending on what you have to hand - any one or two work nicely, as well as all 3 together. Different regions in Spain, and different families, have their own view on what is authentic but I go with taste.