Springtime brings wildflowers, rain showers, child lambs, strawberries, and Lent. It’s the season for candy and milky puddings.
Historically, spring lambing season meant an abundance of milk (from cows and goats in addition to sheep). Throughout Cuaresma, the Lenten interval of abstinence from meals similar to meat, dairy meals had been a stand-in. Here’s a round-up of typical puddings that proceed to be favorites throughout Lent, Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Easter. Or any spring day, wet or brilliant.
Catalan Custard with Burnt-Sugar Topping (Crema Catalana, Crema de San José). Pictured above, these candy and wealthy custards are typical for the festivities of Spanish Fathers’ Day, San José, (March 19) in addition to for Lenten meals. The recipe, with directions for caramelizing the sugar topping, is
right here.
Creamy Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche) within the conventional model is made with milk (typically goat’s milk) infused with cinnamon and lemon peel. Different variations may be flavored with vanilla or rum; have cream or butter included, or be sweetened with honey or molasses as an alternative of sugar. Restaurant renditions typically have a burnt-sugar topping, just like the above custards. The recipe for old style Spanish arroz con leche is under. Right here is one other model
Rice Pudding with Cherries and almonds.
Custard Pudding with Meringue (Natillas con Merengue).
Natillas is an easy home made pudding, typical in rural areas the place contemporary milk and eggs are plentiful. In La Mancha it’s made with warmed sheep’s milk (Manchego cheese is a sheep’s milk cheese). The custard is poured over tortas, sponge cookies, considerably like ladyfingers, then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. In Andalusia natillas is made with goat’s milk and served with crispy galletas, plain cookies. The pudding is particularly good with fruit. It may be topped with baked meringue made with leftover egg whites. Get the recipe for Natillas right here.
Honey with Contemporary Cheese (Mel i Mató). So easy it isn’t actually a pudding–a contemporary, unsalted cream cheese, in Catalonia referred to as mató, served with honey or fruit in syrup. The recipe for serving is right here.
“Burnt” Cheesecake (Quesada al Estilo de Cantábria). This can be a cheesecake with no crust, extra of a baked custard, made with mushy, contemporary cheese. Ought to you will have a surplus of milk, you may simply make the cheese your self. The recipes for each cheesecake and cheese making are
right here.
Mango Pudding with Contemporary Cheese (Pudín de Mango con Cuajada).
Cuajada is a kind of “custard” with no eggs. In Spain you will discover cuajada in particular person cups within the dairy part of grocery shops. Cuajo, an enzyme (rennet or junket), units the custard. Cuajada is, mainly, step one in cheese making. However, as an alternative of chopping the curds and draining off the whey, the thickened milk is poured into cups and allowed to cuajar, set. Serve it with honey, fruit and nuts, an old style conventional dessert particularly in Euskadi (Basque Land). For this pudding the cuajada is blended with fruit, sugar, and whipped cream. The recipe for the pudding is right here.
Caramel Custards (Flan con Caramelo). Old style flan is as Spanish as sunshine! Baked in caramel-coated molds, the custards are simple to organize and could be made upfront of serving. The essential recipe is
right here.
Darkish Chocolate Cream Custards (Crema de Chocolate). Maybe these wealthy custards are a bit too decadent for Lenten abstemiousness, however joyous feasting of Easter is close to, when chocolate may be very a lot on the menu. The recipe for Chocolate Custards is
right here.
Creamy Rice Pudding
Arroz con Leche
Serves 4-6.
6 cups entire milk
1 strip lemon peel
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
½ cup medium-grain rice
Pinch salt
1/3 cup sugar
Floor cinnamon, for dusting
Place the milk in a pan with the lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Deliver simply to a boil over excessive warmth, then take away the pan from the warmth and let the milk infuse 10 minutes. Pressure the milk, discarding the cinnamon and peel.
Add the rice and salt to the milk. Warmth over medium warmth till the milk begins to barely bubble. Cook dinner, stirring regularly, till the rice may be very mushy and the milk thickens, about 45 minutes. Add the sugar and cook dinner for five minutes, stirring continuously so the sugar doesn’t scorch on the underside.
Ladle the new pudding into dessert cups or a pudding bowl. Permit the pudding to chill. Cowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate till serving time. The pudding will thicken because it cools. Sprinkle generously with floor cinnamon earlier than serving.
