I’d never heard of natillas before living in Spain. It’s so popular there’s even a natillas flavored yogurt! While you may not have heard of it either, I’m willing to bet you know what it is. It’s a delicious soft custard flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. It’s easy to make at home with just milk, eggs, sugar and flavoring. Give this a try and see if you don’t want to Go Boxless and forget about powdered mixes and pudding with a foil top.
Custard is surprisingly easy to make
For a nice presentation, use 6 ounce ramekins or other small dessert cup to hold your natillas. In Spain they use a shallow terra cotta bowl called a cazuela. They’re available all over the place in all sizes starting at a euro a piece but in the US they cost an arm and a leg no matter what the size. I purchased the one in the photo from the housewares section in Marshalls. It’s just a matter of looking and buying them when you come across them.
The only piece of special equipment you’ll need is a fine strainer. You want it to prevent the thick bits of cooked egg from getting into the finished custard. I have a small one that works well for the small ramekins. If you don’t have one just try not to scrape across the bottom when putting the custard into the ramekins.
This recipe is a pretty standard one and makes four servings. I adapted it from this one on About.com.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks lightly beaten
- dash of salt
- cinnamon for dusting
- 4 Maria or similar butter cookies
Instructions
- Combine everything in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring frequently.
- Stir constantly when it comes to a boil until it thickens.
- Use a ladle to pour the custard through a strainer into dessert cups.
- Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and float a Maria cookie in the custard.
- You can eat warm, or chill to allow it to set up further.
When was the last time you had a homemade custard? Have you ever made one before?
More Spanish desserts you’ll want to try:
Lydia, when I lived in Spain, I was positively addicted to a pre-made custard-like product stocked near the yogurt, and packaged in small yogurt-cup sized brown terra cotta pots (much like cazuela terra cotta). It has a distinctively milk flavor, so definitely not yogurt, but not sweet like Mexican cajeta. It probably had some gelatin or something to give it a flan-like texture, firmer than yogurt, more like texture of soft tofu. Do you have *any* idea what I’m describing, or what it might be called? I’d love to find a recipe or even find a place in the US where I could buy it….
Thanks!
Jeri
I know what you’re talking about but I can’t remember the name right now. I will look next time I go to the grocery store.
La Lechera still sells cuajada in little terracotta pots. It’s made from sheep’s milk.
This looks wonderful! Thank you for linking it up Friday at our Weekend Social on Kitchen Dreaming! We hope to see you again this week! 🙂
Thank you! I’ve added your party to my master list so I’ll remember 🙂
YUM! This sounds great! I have it tweeted and pinned! 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Gluten Free Fridays link up!
It really is nice. Thanks for sharing it 🙂
Okay, this sounds so intriguing! This is probably the most beautiful custard I’ve ever seen! Yum. Thanks so much for sharing on Saturday Night Fever – pinned!
Thanks for pinning Jen. They are a lovely dessert. I’m not sure why we don’t see it served more in the US. I guess because we prefer cakes and cookies (?).
I am inspired to try making custard. Thank you.
This is an easy recipe. Let me know how it turns out!
Oh this looks divine Lydia, I made flan on my blog this week, I love custard! Thanks for sharing at my Sunday Dinner Linky Party!
They’re yummy. We love flan, too. Rick is a flan snob, actually. He has a “friendly competition” going on with one of my friends who’s from Mexico.
Hi Lydia – Oh, this looks delicious! I love a homemade custard. Thanks for sharing with the Let’s Get Real party this week.
Thanks Gaye. It really is lovely.
I love making custard in the spring when we have plenty of eggs and milk. I’ll give this a try – it would be nice to have a new “flavor” once in awhile. 🙂 Thank you for sharing this recipe at the HomeAcre Hop. I hope you’ll join us again on Thursday.
Kathi at Oak Hill Homestead
Thank you, Kathi. Have a great week 🙂
This looks like a wonderful dessert! Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
Custard pie is one of my favorite desserts and I love the idea of small ramekins of custard. Pinned. Thanks for sharing and linking up to Fri. Pin Fest.
I’m not sure if I’ve had a custard pie. I’m going to have to check into it. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing on Whatever Wednesday on Thank You Honey! Hope to see you again this week!
I never heard of this before either… what a light lovely custard. So glad you brought it by foodie friday.
That looks really good!
It is! I hope you give it a try. No dutch oven needed 🙂
I have always loved custard. This looks delicious. Will pin to Let’s stay healthy board. Thanks for sharing Lydia. Have a wonderful healthy day!
Lydia, We do a Portuguese version very very similar! It is the perfect ending to those big beautiful comfort food Sunday Sinners! Yum!!! Thanks for posting! Please consider submitting it. We’d love to promote this recipe! http://foodisloverecipes.com/submit-your-recipe.html
Thanks Laurie 🙂
This looks like comfort food at its finest. It’s so cold today in NJ I’m tempted to cook up a batch tonight! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
This sounds like the custard my mom used to make us when we were sick. So good, and comforting.
This looks wonderful. I’d love to give it a try. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Angel
This looks great! Pinned! 🙂
– Brooke –
I’ve never tried homemade pudding before, but this seems pretty simple. Yum!
I’ve had mixed success. Using the arrowroot helped and not using skim milk. Have fun and enjoy 🙂
Mmmmm custard is one of my all time treats! I want to try this version.
I hope you like it, it’s really yummy 🙂
I really love your pictures! This looks really yummy too.
This looks fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing. Have pinned to my Food and Drink to make.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah 🙂 Have a great week!
Very interested in your ideas! I grew up in middle America- but was very lucky to know people from several different cultures (other than the mix I am from) Love the way real food tastes compared to what most know. Proud to say my Grandmothers bragged that I was a real cook (not chief). I grew up with Italian, Irish, Greek family (throw in a couple of Englishmen and one German -what a mix) But I learned to flavor old world style. Going to try your Natillas. A friend’s Mother use to make Natilla, she was from Cuba. It is a bit different but not much – lemon, more cornstarch, bigger batch LOL. If you are interested let me know. Thanks you for sharing
Hi Terri, your family sounds as diverse as mine! Let me know how your natillas turn out. I think I’d love a lemon flavored custard. Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment 🙂