COLOMBIAN NATILLA: EASY CHRISTMAS CUSTARD
Natilla is one of the first dishes that comes to mind when I think of Christmas. It’s definitely the dish that can’t be missing from the novenas and other gatherings during this time of year in Colombia. It’s very common to eat it with buñuelos and hojaldras (fried dough), among other things, in our beloved “Christmas plate.”
A little history
Natilla is the result of a mix of worlds. Milk and cinnamon arrived with the Spanish, panela comes from the sugar cane planted in our lands, and corn, which has always been part of our kitchen, provides the starch that thickens it.
Its season begins with the Día de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles) on December 7 and stays on the table during the novenas until the year ends. More than the recipe itself, what makes it special is the moment of making it: one person stirring nonstop with a wooden spoon and everyone else around, tasting to decide whether it’s ready or still needs something.
Every region and every home adds its own touch. On the coast, it’s common to add coconut, while in the interior the panela gives it that dark color and caramelized flavor. Some families add cloves, orange or lemon zest, or raisins. That’s why natilla is much more than a dessert: it’s an excuse to get together and a way for recipes to pass from one generation to the next.
Eventually, this dessert became industrialized, and it became normal to buy it in a box to prepare at home, even in different flavors. But today I want to show you that it can be made easily with very common ingredients that you can find in Germany.
Ingredients
(About 10 servings)
1 liter milk
180 g cornstarch
220 g panela (unrefined cane sugar), or to taste
4 cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp butter
Ground cinnamon for decorating (optional)
Instructions
Divide the milk. Take 2 cups (about 480 ml) of the milk and mix it with the cornstarch. Set aside.
Infuse the milk. Pour the remaining milk into a pot, along with the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and panela. Stir to dissolve the panela and heat over medium-high heat until just before it boils. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Add the cornstarch mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Turn the stove back on to medium-high heat and add the cornstarch mixture to the milk with the panela. From here on, you must stir constantly to prevent lumps, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot so it doesn’t stick. Little by little, you’ll notice the natilla thickening.
Add the butter. When it starts to thicken, add the butter and keep stirring. You’ll notice a kind of thick bubbles: that’s when the natilla is ready.
Pour into a mold. Pour it into a mold right away. You can refrigerate it so it sets faster.
Serve. Unmold and, if you like, decorate with ground cinnamon.
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