Christmas Delectiables

So over the Christmas festivus's I tried out a few new recipies.

First were my Buñuelos (cheese fritters) These are a Colombian Christmas dosh, and are traditionally served with natilla. I'm not sure how we felt about the natilla, it was actually very tasty, but we didn't get how it went with the Buñuelos . But the Buñuelos them selves were a HUGE HIT.

Buñuelos -

200g Feta or Paneer Cheese

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp caster sugar (we used regular sugar)

1 large egg

Blend cheese and egg to form a smooth paste. add sugar and cornstarch and mix until well blended.

Roll into little balls and deep fry. Make sure the oil is not too hot.

Natilla -

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 heaped tsp golden syrup (i used molasses)

1 stick cinnamon

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 T butter

Place 1 cup of milk, and the sugar, syrup, cinnamon stick and salt in a pot and simmer over low heat till the sugar and syrup have dissolved completely. do not boil. In separate bowl, stir remaining cup of milk and cornstarch until completely dissolved. stir into the sugar mixture on stove. Raise temp slightly and stir continuously to 'cook' the cornstarch. Add cream then raise the heat again to medium, continuously stir and scrape the bottom of the pot until the mixture has thickened. Remove pot from heat and add butter. mix well and remove Cinnamon stick. pour the mixture into a mould or serving dish. sprinkle with cinnamon.

Next I made some Indian Pudding. This is something I discovered while watching the Food Network, on a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" where all the cooks and show hosts talk about their favorite foods.. I know evil show.

It is a very old recipe, but still delicious of course.

Ingredients
6 cups of milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup molasses
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup golden raisins (optional)
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions
1 Scald the milk and butter in a large double boiler. Or heat the milk and butter for 5 or 6 minutes on high heat in the microwave, until it is boiling, then transfer it to a pot on the stove. Keep hot on medium heat. Preheat oven to 250°F. In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, and salt; stir in molasses. Thin the mixture with about 1/2 cup of scalded milk, a few tablespoons at a time, then gradually add the mixture back to the large pot of scalded milk. Cook, stirring until thickened. Temper the eggs by slowly adding a half cup of the hot milk cornmeal mixture to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture back in with the hot milk cornmeal mixture, stir to combine. Stir in the sugar and spices, until smooth. At this point, if the mixture is clumpy, you can run it through a blender to smooth it out. Stir in the raisins (optional). Pour into a 2 1/2 quart shallow casserole dish. Bake for 2 hours at 250°F. Allow the pudding to cool about an hour to be at its best. It should be reheated to warm temperature if it has been chilled. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Then on Boxing Day I made an Egg Florentine Casserole, and Monkey Muffins. I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman blog. check it out... YUM!

Monkey Muffins