Here’s a Cuban inspired dessert that combines guavas with a delicious flavours of lemon and cinnamon.
Natilla with zesty cream and roasted guavas
Serves 6
• 4½ cups milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 piece lemon zest (about 5cm long, 2cm thick)
• pinch of salt
• 4t cornflour
• 8 egg yolks
• 1¼ cups sugar plus 3T sugar
• 1t vanilla essence
• 3 fresh guavas, unpeeled
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup cream
• zest of half an orange
Bring the milk, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt to a simmer. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Mix the cornflour with a little cold water into a smooth paste.
Whisk the egg yolks, 1 cup sugar and cornflour paste together in a bowl until fluffy.
Still whisking, gradually ladle in the warm-milk mixture. Once it’s all incorporated, strain the mixture through a sieve.
Pour it back into the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat for 8 minutes, until the custard thickens.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour into serving bowls and leave to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Halve the guavas and place in a baking pan. Mix ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water, and pour over the guavas. Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes, until slightly soft.
Whip the cream with the 3 tablespoons of sugar and fold in the orange zest.
Dollop a spoonful of cream onto each natilla and top with a guava half. Spoon over some of the syrup from the pan.
Image: Andreas Eiselen
