Eggnog. Meh. Even a good one made with the freshest ingredients and top shelf booze is only that: good, not great. During the holidays we instead whip up a batch of Puerto Rican coquito, a rich and creamy dessert drink that will make you, like Elvis, wish everyday was like Christmas.
Family recipes for coquito are fiercely guarded but we want to share ours with you. Like many versions of coquito, our recipe involves several cans of dairy and coconut products. To make it special, however, we infuse our rum with delicious holiday spices and add a splash of white crème de cacao to the mix. Yes, the drink is rich but it is also amazing and something you only enjoy once a year. Serve it once and you’ll be asked to make it year after year.
Coquito (Traditional Puerto Rican Holiday Drink)
Yield: 1 pitcher
250 mL white rum
4oz Crème de cacao
4oz Orange liqueur (e.g., Curaçao, Cointreau, Triple sec)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise
6 allspice berries
1 (¼ teaspoon sized) chunk of nutmeg
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (13.5 fl oz) can Goya coconut milk
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (11.8 fl oz) can Goya coconut water with pulp
1 (15 oz) can Coco López cream of coconut
Additional cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
Combine the rum, cinnamon, star anise, allspice and nutmeg in a lidded jar and let stand overnight. Strain, reserving the rum. In a pitcher, combine the dairy and coconut products and the infused rum. Stir the mixture and add crème de cacao and orange liqueur. Chill and add more white rum and/or crème de cacao to taste. Serve chilled, garnished with a cinnamon stick and a dusting of ground cinnamon.
