Natillia, a Coconut Dessert

Natillia is a typical Colombia dessert made with milk and coconut. It is a tasty and healthy dessert, that satisfies a craving for dessert, without being too sweet and rich. A new recipe to add to your dessert collection.

I tried it the first time when Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, the famous socker player, prepared with me during the interview.

A few months ago, I started a new project called COOKING WITH CELEBRIETIES, published by Lake Como Tourism magazine (see the section press).

Who will be the next celebrity? Stay tuned!

NATILLA DESSERT

Total preparation time: 20 minutes + 2 hours of cooling                       Servings: 10-12

INGREDIENTS

1200 ml (5 cups) whole milk
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon liquid vanilla
160 g (1 cup) whole cane sugar
130 g (1 heaping cup) cornstarch
80 g (1 heaping cup) grated coconut
15 g (1 tablespoon) butter
Ground cinnamon to decorate

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 960 ml (4 cups) of milk to boil with the cinnamon sticks in a non-stick pan (about 5-6 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch with a spoon. Add 240 ml (1 cup) of milk and mix well with a whisk until the mixture is homogeneous.
3. Remove the cinnamon from the milk and add the vanilla. Pour in the sugar and cornstarch mixture, stirring with a plastic whisk. Add the butter. 4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture begins to thicken, add the coconut and stirr constantly, cook until the mixture has a consistency similar to pudding. Cook for about 8-10 minutes.
5. Pour into a non-stick angelfood ring mold of about 22 cm (about 9 inch). Leave to set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or at room temperature for 3 hours.
6. Pour onto a serving plate and decorate with ground cinnamon powder. – Paola