← Nouns Cooking · Spanish

Ingredients

• 750 ml whole milk
• 1 strip of lemon peel
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 5 egg yolks
• 100 g Sugar
• 20 g Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to dust

Method

1. Heat 650 ml of the milk with the lemon peel and cinnamon stick until it just starts to bubble, then take it off the heat and infuse for 10 min.
2. Whisk the yolks, sugar, cornflour, vanilla (if using) and the rest of the cold milk in a bowl until smooth.
3. Remove the peel and cinnamon from the warm milk. Pour the milk onto the yolk mixture, whisking all the time, then return everything to the pan.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula and scraping the bottom, for 5–8 min, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil or it may curdle.
5. Pour into small bowls, press cling film onto the surface if you dislike a skin, cool, then chill for at least 2 hours. Dust with ground cinnamon before serving.

Tips

• In Spain each bowl is often topped with a Maria biscuit, which adds gluten; leave it off for a gluten-free dessert.
• Use the leftover egg whites for leche merengada or meringues.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Spain on a Fork Directo al Paladar