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Intxaursaltsa
Intxaursaltsa: Basque Christmas Eve walnut cream simmered with milk and cinnamon
On Christmas Eve in Gipuzkoa farmhouses, after the sea bream and before midnight, a pot of intxaursaltsa appears: walnuts slowly simmered in milk with sugar and cinnamon until thick and creamy. It was the sweet of the caseríos, made with walnuts from the farm's own trees, and it is eaten warm or cold from small bowls. A common mistake is letting it boil hard, which makes the milk catch and taste scorched; it should only murmur. Chef's tip: grind the walnuts in short pulses so they stay like coarse sand and don't turn into an oily paste.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pulse 5 ½ oz shelled walnuts in a food processor in short bursts until finely chopped like coarse sand.
3 minStep 2: Put the walnuts and 1 cup water in a heavy pan and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until most of the water has gone and the nuts smell toasty.
10 minStep 3: Add 4 ¼ cups whole milk, 4 oz sugar and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer, then cook on the lowest heat for 45–50 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom. It is ready when it has reduced by about a third and coats the back of a spoon like thin custard.
50 minStep 4: Remove the cinnamon. Serve warm, or pour into small bowls and chill for 3 hours, when it thickens further. Dust with a pinch of ground cinnamon if you like.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does intxaursaltsa take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shelled walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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