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Natilla colombiana
Christmas panela and cinnamon set milk pudding
Natilla is the firm, sliceable Christmas pudding of Colombia, stirred on the night of the alumbrado (7 December) and through the novenas, and always shared with buñuelos. Milk is infused with cinnamon, sweetened with panela (unrefined cane sugar), thickened with cornflour and finished with grated coconut and raisins, then poured into a dish to set. It is dark gold, caramel-scented and soft, a bit like a firm flan. Chef's tip: stir without stopping once the cornflour goes in, scraping the corners of the pan, or lumps and a scorched bottom will form.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 750 ml of 4 ¼ cups whole milk, 2 cinnamon sticks and 6 ½ oz panela or dark muscovado sugar in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Stir until the panela dissolves and the milk is steaming and smells of cinnamon, 8–10 minutes. Don't let it boil over.
9 minStep 2: Whisk 3 ½ oz cornflour (cornstarch) into the rest of the milk until smooth with no lumps. Lift out the cinnamon sticks.
Step 3: Lower the heat to medium-low and pour the cornflour mix into the pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
2 minStep 4: Keep stirring until the natilla thickens and you can see the bottom of the pan for a second as you draw the spoon across, 10–15 minutes.
13 minStep 5: Stir in ⅔ oz butter, 1 oz desiccated coconut and 1 ⅜ oz raisins and cook for 2 minutes more until glossy.
2 minStep 6: Pour into a lightly oiled dish about 20 cm square and smooth the top. A common mistake is pulling it off the heat too soon; it then stays soft and won't slice.
Step 7: Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours until set. Cut into squares and dust with ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does natilla colombiana take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon sticks?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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