Natillas Mexican Custard Recipes

NATILLAS DE LECHE (SPANISH CUSTARD)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Pour 5 cups of milk into a large saucepan. Add lemon peel and cinnamon stick and warm the milk, uncovered, over medium heat, until just before it boils. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup milk with the cornstarch.
• Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and beat with an electric mixer until it is frothy.
• Add the milk-cornstarch mixture and continue to beat with mixer until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
• Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon stick from the warm milk, using a slotted spoon.
• Return the pot to the stove on medium heat. After milk is hot, but not boiling, add the vanilla extract .
• Slowly pour egg yolk mixture into the warming milk, while beating with electric mixer on low speed.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir continuously over medium heat, so the milk does not stick. Stir until mixture thickens.
• Ladle thickened mixture through a fine mesh sieve placed over a large bowl, in order to eliminate any lumps.
• Pour strained natillas mixture evenly into 6 small bowls, ramekins, or cups. Allow to cool to room temperature on the counter, then cover ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Once chilled, garnish with cinnamon before serving.

HOW TO MAKE NATILLAS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk with the egg yolks and cornstarch. Pour 1/2 cup (125 ml) of milk into a medium mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks and cornstarch to the same bowl and whisk well. Continue whisking until the mixture seems smooth and the contents are evenly distributed.
• Mix together the seasonings and remaining milk. Pour the remaining milk in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon stick, and salt to the same saucepan, then set the pan on your stove over medium-low heat. Mix the contents of the saucepan slowly and continuously as they heat up and do not use a higher heat setting. Milk burns and sticks to pans easily, so continuous motion and low heat are both necessities. Continue heating and stirring until the mixture becomes hot but do not allow it to reach a boil yet. This step should take several minutes.
• Add the egg yolk mixture. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture, mixing the two together constantly to combine them.
• Heat until the mixture boils. Continue stirring and heating the mixture over medium-low heat until it boils. After it begins to boil, continue whisking it for 2 minutes or longer. Test the taste of the natillas after the first 2 minutes. If you can detect the taste of cornstarch, you'll need to continue heating the mixture for another minute or so. If the cornstarch taste is gone, you can proceed to the next step.
• Add the vanilla but remove the cinnamon and lemon. Remove the saucepan from the stove. Take out the lemon zest and cinnamon stick, then add the vanilla extract, stirring it in until evenly distributed.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites using an electric mixer set to low speed, continuing until stiff peaks form. When the egg whites are ready, stiff peaks should form when you lift the mixer out. These peaks should stand sharply without drooping. Note that the addition of egg whites is mostly found in Mexican versions of natillas. Many traditional Spanish versions do not use egg whites, and the result is a much denser custard. As such, you may omit the egg whites altogether if desired.
• Fold the egg whites into the custard. Top the custard in your saucepan with the stiff egg whites. Carefully fold the egg white into the custard with a spatula until no visible streaks of white remain. Fold carefully, applying as little pressure as possible to the egg whites during the process. Working too quickly or with too much force can cause the egg whites to lose most of the air you just beat into them.
• Chill for a minimum of 3 hours. Carefully press a sheet of plastic wrap over the surface of the natillas, then place the saucepan in your refrigerator until the custard is cool and semi-set. If you want to serve the natillas in individual custard cups, you should pour the mixture into the cups while it is still warm.
• Serve when ready. After the natillas have cooled and set, scoop the custard into individual serving dishes and sprinkle each one with ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg. Alternatively, you could top each helping of natillas with a shortbread cookie. You should be able to store natillas in sealed containers for 3 days inside your refrigerator.

ORANGE AND AVOCADO NATILLA (MEXICAN CUSTARD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Pour the orange juice into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the sugar, stir and, once it comes to a gentle simmer, 4 to 5 minutes later, cook for 5 minutes. Let cool.
• In another saucepan, pour in the milk and place over medium-low heat. Once it comes to a simmer, remove from the heat.
• In a medium bowl, beat together the cream, cornstarch, egg yolks and salt until thoroughly combined. Gently pour the warm milk in a thin stream into the egg yolk mixture, beating well with a whisk or fork. Once mixed, pour the orange mixture into egg yolk-milk mixture in a thin stream, whisking as you do. Return the entire mixture to a saucepan and place over medium-low heat, bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Mix in the avocado, whisking thoroughly with a whisk or fork until thoroughly combined. Strain the mixture, using a fine strainer, onto a bowl.
• Chill the mixture by placing the bowl over an ice bath. Cover the natilla with plastic wrap placed directly onto the custard so it will not create a film. Place in the refrigerator and let completely chill. Serve by spooning the natilla into bowls and garnish with cacao nibs.

NATILLAS (SPANISH CUSTARD)

Steps:

• Combine milk, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest in a saucepan over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes without letting it boil.
• Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in cornstarch. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and lump-free.
• Remove and discard cinnamon stick and lemon zest from milk. Gradually add egg yolk mixture to the milk, and beat with a whisk over low heat until mixture starts to thickens, about 10 minutes. Bring custard to a boil and immediately remove from heat.
• Pour custard into individual serving dishes and chill in the fridge until set, about 2 hours.

NATILLAS

Steps:

• 1. Directions: 1.Combine 1 cup milk and egg yolks in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk; set aside. 2. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; gradually add remaining 1 3/4 cups milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in whipping cream. 3. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to milk mixture. Bring mixture to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. 4. Gradually add half of hot milk mixture to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 5. Remove from heat. 6. Add butter to milk mixture; stir until combined. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 25 minutes or until custard cools, stirring occasionally. Discard vanilla bean. Spoon custard into a bowl. Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap; chill. 7. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. 8. Beat in vanilla. Gently fold 1/2 cup of beaten egg whites into custard. 9. Spoon 1/2 cup custard into each of 8 bowls or footed glasses; top each serving with 1/4 cup remaining egg white mixture. Garnish with nutmeg. Yield: 8 servings

NATILLA - CUBAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Bring milk, cinnamon, zest & salt to a boil.
• Set aside to cool.
• Dissolve cornstarch in the water.
• Beat together diluted cornstarch, yolks & sugar.
• Add in the milk mixture.
• Strain.
• Cook in double boiler (preferred) or over medium flame stirring constantly until it thickens.
• Stir in vanilla & transfer to serving dish.
• Powder with cinnamon.

NATILLAS (MEXICAN CUSTARD)

Steps:

• Dissolve 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in 1 cup of milk. Beat egg yolks. Add beaten egg yolks, 1 tablespoon nutmeg, and salt. This makes a thick paste.
• Put the rest of the milk in a heavy pan over low heat. Add the paste mixture and stir constantly. Cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens or coats a spoon.
• Beat egg whites until stiff and then add 1 tablespoon sugar as you continue beating. Fold this mixture into hot custard.
• Pour into individual ramekin serving dishes (sometimes I use thick martini glasses if I want to get fancy).
• Chill for a minimum of 5 hours and sprinkle remaining nutmeg over chilled dessert for presentation.