Very Traditional Spanish Christmas Recipes

Growing up in a traditional Spanish home, Christmastime was always filled with sweet cinnamon and sugar smells floating through our house. Grandma always made arroz con leche for breakfast on the weekends and she always had a plate full of yummy bunuelos , along with some honey, ready for me when I got home from school. I remembered one Christmas she even made us flan, a custard pie topped with caramel. Below is my easy version. Christmas would not be what it is for me without these very special recipes. Enjoy.

Arroz con leche

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

2 ½ cups milk

1 small can of condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ground cinnamon

Great with leftover rice and excellent for breakfast.

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the milk, condensed milk and vanilla to just boiling. Be careful not to scald.

3. Add rice to heated milk and stir until rice is warm.

4. Remove from stove.

5. Serve in bowls and garnish with ground cinnamon.

Bunuelos

Ingredients:

3 cups flour, sifted

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp salt

1 ½ Tbsp sugar

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup butter (or margarine)

Cinnamon and sugar for dusting

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt

2. In a small bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and butter.

3. Stir in milk and vanilla.

4. Add flour to milk mixture, in batches.

5. If dough is too dry, add a few drops of milk.

6. Knead dough until very smooth.

7. Shape into balls, about a little larger than a golf ball

8. Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes

9. Heat oil one-inch deep in a large skillet (360 degrees)

10. On a floured surface, roll out each ball to a flat 8 inch circle

11. Fry bunuelos until golden brown on each side

12. Drain on paper towels

13. On a separate plate, combine cinnamon and sugar for dusting

14. While still hot, dust each side of bunuelo with cinnamon and sugar

Simple Flan

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In small saucepan, melt sugar on low heat, until liquefied and caramel in color. Stirring constantly.

3. Carefully pour into a glass round 9-inch baking dish

4. Make sure all sides of dish are evenly coated

5. Set aside.

6. In a large bowl, beat eggs.

7. Add in condensed and evaporated milk.

8. Add in vanilla

9. Beat until smooth

10. Pour mixture into baking dish

11. Cover with aluminum foil

12. Bake 60 minutes.

13. Let cool completely and serve.

14. To serve, carefully invert it onto a serving plate.

Feliz Navidad and Prospero Ano Nuevo! Enjoy!