We had a snow storm. I need a drink. I need Coquito.
Yesterday I experienced my first Michigan winter storm since high school. Unlike in Chicago, where snow is sort of an afterthought and the plows are out if it starts to smell like a snowstorm, Ann Arbor…well, we all immediately were buried. Fretting about a commute home, running out of bread, milk and toilet paper, getting to and fro in unplowed roads became more of a concern as we watched the storm stall over us from approximately 9a into the wee hours of the this morning.
Unfortunately I needed to pop out to get some treats for Crawley (he’s a demanding mister) and some fruit for myself, so on went the boots, coat, scarf and knee high woolly socks to take me the 0.3 miles to the store for the aforementioned necessities. It was so eerily quiet, and believe it or not, it was only 6p!
By the time I got home, I was ready for some warm pajamas, Christmas lights and some nog. I didn’t have the nog, but happened to have something a whole lot better in the refrigerator…
If you’ve been on this internet journey with me from the beginning, you’ll have seen this before, and if you dig deep into your brain you may find it there. You probably ignored it, since I shared this recipe with the world when I didn’t know how to take a proper picture with a proper camera, and you probably took one look at that ugly photos that accompanied this amazing recipe, and just clicked onward.
However, it’s a good one, super holiday appropriate and in desperate need of a refresher. I’ve got to credit my girl Mango for the recipe and her insightfulness. For that, head back to that original post. The words and thoughts remain strong, but those pictures…here are some new ones.
Serve up in a pretty glass with a coconut-garnished rim and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Perfect for any upcoming holiday soiree, or when you have nowhere to be, and nothing to do. Just the accompaniment to a handful of holiday cookies and a Hallmark movie.
Coquito
Puerto Rican coconut Christmas drink, coquito, has lots of coconut flavor, and loads of rum - with a custard base for an indulgent holiday drink.
Ingredients
- 1 can evaporated milk (may substitute unsweetened coconut milk if you prefer)
- ½ cup coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened, either is fine)
- 3 large egg yolks, separated or 4 small egg yolks, separated.
- 1 TB sugar
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup dark spiced rum, plus 1-2 tablespoons
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ½ of a vanilla bean pod
- Cinnamon stick, star anise, or nutmeg for garnish.
- To store: wash and disinfect a pretty wine bottle or similar
Directions
- Step 1 Toast the coconut flakes. Combine the can of evaporated milk and toasted coconut flakes to infuse the evaporated milk for about 20-30 minutes. Allow the milk to cool, drain coconut flakes out and discard.
- Step 2 Make a zabaglione (custard)-like mixture by assembling a double boiler with boiling water and place the 3 separated egg yolks in the top part along with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Step 3 Whisk the egg yolks until pale and frothy or fluffy and it has increased in volume.
- Step 4 Add 1 or 2 TB of the rum to the egg custard and whisk until incorporated for the last 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the eggs from the double boiler. Allow it to cool while you work on the other steps.
- Step 5 In a blender, combine the can of condensed milk, the extracts, scrape the vanilla bean pod and reserve pod for vanilla sugar or other use. Add the cooled coconut evaporated milk/coconut milk. Blend on low until all ingredients mixed.
- Step 6 Add the cool egg custard/zabaglione and blend on low 20-30 seconds. Finally, add the rum, ¼ cup at a time, blend 20-30 seconds in between, until you’ve reached the desired boozy level.
- Step 7 Pour with a funnel into your washed wine bottle and cork.
- Step 8 Notes: find it tough to control the heat at the same time I’m keeping a handle on my gerrymandered double boiler and whisking so I just take the top part with the eggs on and off the heat to make sure I don’t do scrambled eggs.
- Step 9 Some folks will let this sit for a few days before drinking so that the flavors fully develop and meld but its ready for consuming right away. Drink 5 ounce portions chilled garnished with a cinnamon stick, star anise, or nutmeg. Star anise is pretty but I find that nutmeg is the ideal touch to bring out the smoke and spice of the rum and cut the sweetness. Most recipes also only call for evaporated and condensed milk, rum, and cinnamon and that’s it. This recipe is my way of making it more flave-interesting.
- Step 10 Many recipes for coquito call for white rum. I happen to think the spiciness of dark rum is better suited to the sweetness of this drink. The zabaglione/egg custard is my addition so that it gets a similar consistency and richness of egg nog. The almond extract is in there because I think it complements coconut nicely. I’ve also tried this with half coconut rum and half spiced rum and that was good though I didn’t think the coconut flavor was much stronger at all.
