MAMA RITA’S RECIPE COLLECTION
Sweet Wheat-Berry Natilla
Dulce de natilla de trigo
A creamy, cinnamon-scented wheat pudding from the collection. The grains remain pleasantly chewy; this natilla is not an egg custard.
- Yield
- About 1½ liters; 8 servings
- Preparation
- 15 minutes, plus overnight soaking
- Cooking / elapsed time
- 1½–2½ hours
Ingredients
- 200 g (about 1 cup) dry food-grade wheat berries
- Water for soaking, plus 3 cups for cooking and more as needed
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 50 g grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt
- Optional: chopped pecans for serving
Method
-
Soak.
Rinse wheat berries and soak overnight in plenty of water in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse.
-
Cook the wheat.
Put wheat in a heavy pot with 3 cups fresh water and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, 60–120 minutes until fully tender. Add hot water as needed so it never dries out. Grain age and variety affect the time.
-
Make it creamy.
Drain excess water, leaving about ½ cup with the grain. Add whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, piloncillo, and salt. Simmer on low 20–30 minutes, stirring frequently, until creamy. Add milk if it becomes too thick; it thickens further as it cools.
-
Finish.
Remove the cinnamon and adjust sweetness. Serve warm or chilled, with optional pecans. Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate up to 3–4 days.
Kitchen notes
Wheat matters
Use wheat berries sold for food, never planting seed. This dessert contains wheat/gluten and milk; the optional garnish adds tree nuts.
For cooked dishes, cool promptly and follow the storage and reheating guide. Follow the shorter storage directions above where given.