**Every night for the nine nights before Christmas Colombians celebrate novenas, so I will be writing a blog post every day about Colombian Christmas traditions. Feliz Navidad!**

Yesterday I wrote about the different traditional Christmas food and drinks in Colombia, and today I have the recipes for you! If you want to see pictures or descriptions of anything, just read my post from yesterday here.

First, buñuelos. The easiest way to make buñuelos is with a pre-made mix; then all you need to add is cheese and water. However, if you can’t find the mix near you, then here’s how to make them from scratch:

Ingredients:

2 pounds of Queso Fresco, very finely grated
1 ½ cups cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, minus the oil, until it is a soft dough. Then form the dough into ½ inch diameter balls. Heat the oil. To know if it is the right temperature, you should form a tiny test ball of dough and drop it in. It should sink to the bottom, and then count to 11. If it rises at 11 seconds, it is ready. If it rises too quickly, it is too hot. If it takes longer to rise, the oil is not hot enough. The trick to buñuelos is the temperature of the oil; it has to be perfect, so make sure you test the oil. They are done frying when they are a nice golden brown on the outside. Then place them in a bowl lined with paper towels and serve immediately.

Next, natilla. Natilla mix also comes in a box, but here is the recipe to make this delicious cake from scratch:

Time: 30 minutes                                                                                             Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

950 millilitres of milk                                                                                                             1½ cups cornstarch                                                                                                               ¾ cup brown sugar                                                                                                                 4 cinnamon sticks                                                                                                                    1 tablespoon cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Dissolve the corn starch into the milk. Add the brown sugar.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. When the sugar has fully dissolved and begins the milk has started to thicken, add the cinnamon sticks.
Continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, take the cinnamon sticks out, and pour the mixture on to a large and slightly deep, tray.
Allow to set, place cinnamon sticks and sprinkle cinnamon on top, and serve.

Last, canelazo, a tasty drink you can serve all winter long. It’s perfect at Christmastime or on any cold day.

Ingredients:

2 cups aguapanela (sugar cane drink)
1 cup aguardiente (Anise-flavored alcohol)
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon lime juice                                                                                                    Sugar for serving

Directions:

Mix the aguapanela, aguardiente, cinnamon, and lime juice in a pot over medium heat. Simmer for about 7 minutes, without allowing it to boil. Cover the rims of the cups or glasses with lime and sugar and pour in the liquid and serve.

Happy cooking!