Ellie’s Mum’s Colombian Cremé Caramel recipe, Family Buñuelos recipe & Chocolate Caliente. 

Today, we’re heading into the kitchen to serve up some christmassy Colombian recipes. Starting with rich, feta-stuffed bunñelos, and finishing with sweet, silky Cremé Caramel and Chocolate Caliente, there’s something to please everyone. For our founder, Ellie, these dishes are family favourites, so who was better placed to share her knowledge on Colombian cooking than Ellie’s mum herself?

CREMÉ CARAMEL

ingredients

For the caramel

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Teaspoon water
• 50ml Caleño Dark & Spicy
   
  

For the Custard

• 1 1/2 cup half and half or whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 vanilla beans, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  
  

METHOD 

1. Combine the sugar and one tablespoon of water in a saucepan. Don’t stir this, just place on a stove over high heat for no longer than five minutes. By this time, the sugar should’ve started to boil, turning the mixture into an amber colour. 
2. Swirl the saucepan slowly to evenly distribute the mixture. 
3. Now, equally pour the caramel into four 200ml ramekins. As previously done with the pan, swirl each ramekin gently so that the base is evenly covered with caramel. Then, set these aside. 
4. Into another saucepan, pour the milk and ½ cup of sugar. Sit and place on a stove over  a medium heat. The milk should be warmed through, not boiling. Set this aside. 
5. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scraping out the seeds. Add the vanilla into the egg and beat the eggs with vanilla gently. 
6. Now, the warm milk mixture should be slowly poured into the eggs, making sure to continue whisking as you do this. This will form a custard mixture. To get the silkiest texture, strain the custard using a fine sieve. 
7. Pour the custard into the ramekins, over the caramel, ensuring that each pot has the same quantity in it. 
8. Place the ramekins into a large baking dish. Then, pour boiling water into the dish, surrounding the ramekins. This water should reach no higher than ½ way up the ramekins. Place these into a preheated oven and cook for 40 minutes. 
9. Remove the dish from the oven, and then the ramekins from the dish. Let these cool on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes. Then, refrigerate these for at least four hours. 
10. To serve, place the ramekin in a shallow dish of boiling water. This will melt the caramel a little, and ensure that the Creme caramel releases smoothly from the ramekin.

Buñuelos

(Cheese Fritters)

Ingredients

• 1 cup  plain flour 
• ½ cup cornstarch 
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
  
  

For frying 

• 3 cups vegetable oil

Method 

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, baking powder, butter, egg and cheese. Mix these using the tips of your fingers. 
2. Then, bring the mixture together by adding the milk. This should form a dough. 
3. Begin to heat the oil in a medium pan, ensuring that the temperature doesn’t get higher than 170 degrees celsius. 
4. As the oil heats, divide the dough into 32 equal pieces, rolling each to form balls. 
5. Fry four buñuelos at a time, for approximately five minutes.
   
   

Chocolate
Caliente

While this hot chocolate is the perfect night time winter-warmer, it’s traditionally also served in the morning, for breakfast, accompanied by arepas (cornmeal cakes) and cheese.

Ingredients (serves four) 

• 4 ½ cups whole milk
• 2 ½ tablespoons sugar or to your taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 ounces sweet chocolate, chopped
  
  

Method

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan on medium heat to just below the simmering point, add the chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, add the sugar and cinnamon. 
2. Then, simply whisk the mixture and serve.