Natilla is a Spanish cream dessert made with milk, sugar, and eggs, flavored with cinnamon or other ingredients. The eggs are tempered to prevent lumps, and the mixture is cooked until thickened, then chilled. It can be served alone or with cookies or pastries.
Natilla is a cream dessert from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. It is made with milk, sugar and eggs which are cooked together, whipped and refrigerated until the consistency is thick and creamy. Flavorings such as vanilla or chocolate may be added to the natillas, although a generous amount of cinnamon is usually the primary flavoring. Custard can be served on its own or have a lightly sweetened cookie floating in its center, or it can be served with a type of fried pastry known as bunuelos on the side. In some countries, such as Colombia, the dish is known as manjar blanco and natillas are a slightly different dish that doesn’t include eggs.
The recipe for making traditional Spanish natillas begins by infusing the flavor of cinnamon with the milk into the dish. While milk is the most common liquid, heavy cream can also be used. The cinnamon sticks are simmered until the cinnamon flavor is transferred, after which the sticks are removed.
The eggs – usually a good number of them – are then separated into yolks and whites. The yolks are whipped until smooth and mixed with sugar and a thickening agent such as cornstarch or flour. The next step involves mixing the hot milk with the eggs, meaning the eggs will need to be tempered first.
Tempering the eggs is one way to help ensure the natillas are smooth and creamy. The heat of the milk, when added directly to egg yolks, may be hot enough to actually cook them, creating a lumpy, scrambled egg-like substance. Instead, a small amount of warm milk should be poured into the yolks while constantly whisking them. This will slowly raise the temperature of the egg yolks, and once heated, they can be added to hot milk without the threat of cooking into a solid as long as the mixture is constantly whisked during the pouring process.
The combined milk and yolks are allowed to cook together for a while, but are not allowed to boil. This can easily be done using a double boiler to help better control the heat and prevent hot spots from searing the liquid at the bottom of the pan. Once the ingredients have come together completely and thickened, the natillas are removed from the heat and allowed to cool.
Meanwhile, the egg whites are whipped until firm and solid. The whites are then gently folded into the milk and yolk mixture, adding lightness and volume. The entire dessert is then placed in the refrigerator and allowed to cool. Completed natillas can be served in bowls or glasses with ground cinnamon sprinkled in a thin layer on top.
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