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Sweet Basque Cream (Natillas)

4.8(11)

At the restaurant Marichu, we offer this sweet, liquid custard as a dessert in itself, served in small custard cups. But _natillas_ is also used in countless Basque recipes as a sauce. Although we in the Basque Country claim this sauce as our own, the French make a similar sauce and call it _crème anglaise_ — thereby crediting the English as its inventors. [This is an ingredient in the recipe for [Almond Tart.](/recipes/recipe_views/views/100927)]

by Teresa Barrenechea·published 2004-08-20

Open original recipe

Servings

(5–6)

Total time

—

Calories / serving

—

Ingredients (6)

serves

1 quart heavy creamheavy-cream
2 cinnamon stickscinnamon
6 large eggsegg
3/4 cup sugarsugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extractvanilla-extract
ground cinnamoncinnamon

Instructions (4 steps)

01In a saucepan, combine the cream and cinnnamon sticks, and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until the cream is well infused with the cinnamon. Set the pan aside so the cream can cool.
02In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until they are well mixed. Add the cream and cinnamon sticks, and whisk well.
03Heat 1 to 2 inches of water in the bottom pan of a double boiler, and transfer custard mixture to the top pan, or set the bowl over a saucepan containing 1 to 2 inches of hot water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook the sauce, stirring constantly, for about 30 minutes or until it thickens, adding more hot water to the bottom pan if necessary. Remove the top pan or the bowl from over the hot water, and let the custard cool.
04Strain the cooled custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass or ceramic container, and refrigerate the natillas for at least 4 hours, until it is cool. Stir before serving, adding a little more heavy cream if necessary to smooth the natillas. Divide it among six custard cups or transfer it to a pitcher to use as a sauce. Serve the natillas sprinkled with cinnamon.