Homemade Spanish Custard Dessert Recipe (Natillas)
A homemade version of natillas, a famous dessert in Spain and called "mamatillas" in our home.:)
Ingredients
- 1 L whole milk
- 120 gr honey
- lemon peels of 1 lemon
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
- cinnamon powder for decoration
- marie biscuits (optional)
Notes
1. Reserve a glass of milk and put the rest of the milk in a pot together with the honey and mix well. Then add the lemon peels, cinnamon stick, and vanilla.
2. Heat the mixture in low fire. Stir it occasionally.
3. When the milk mixture is about to boil, switch off the fire. Remove the lemon peels and cinnamon stick and let it cool a bit for about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, crack the 4 eggs in a bowl. Beat well. Then add the reserved glass of milk to the beaten eggs. Also, add 2 tbsp. of arrowroot powder and mix well with a whisk to make sure that the arrowroot powder is totally dissolved.
5.Add the egg mixture to the milk mixture and switch on the fire once again and put it on low. Keep stirring the mixture to make sure that it's not sticking on the bottom of the pot.
6. Taste for desired sweetness. Add more honey if needed.
7. Keep on stirring until it's about to boil, then it's finished when it starts to be bubbly and the consistency becomes sticky. It's between 5-6 minutes. Even if the consistency is not yet very thick, it will be once cooled.
8. Transfer the natillas to individual jars and leave them on the counter to cool down before transferring them to the refrigerator. They are best eaten the following day to make sure that the mixture has already solidified.
9. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top before eating. A marie biscuit can also be added if desired. We eat our natillas without the biscuit, though.
ADDITIONAL NOTE:
You can make it without vanilla extract. I added vanilla when I made it for the 1st time. I ran out of it on the 2nd time and it came out delicious, just like the first time. I will make it without vanilla from now on because the lesser the ingredients, the better for me.