Recently I was asked to bring a cocktail to a holiday party. In the past, I would have made a big batch of eggnog, but I was watching a show about Puerto Rico a while back and for some reason they were talking about Puerto Rican eggnog and that got my wheels spinning. A quick google search later and I fell into the rabbit hole that is Coquito. Imagine really sweet eggnog with a nice, velvety undertone of coconut.
There is apparently a wide variation of opinion on how to achieve the coconut taste with the traditional method being cream of coconut but some people arguing for plain old coconut milk for more coconut flavor and slightly less sweetness given that the drink is already verging on diabetes inducing with the condensed milk.
Most of the recipes I found were apparently for small gatherings of family or something because they were a little weak on the alcohol front and made batches of about a quart.
Equipment
- Blender
- Can opener
- Measuring spoons
- Resealable gallon container (hereafter to be referred to as “the jug”)
- Microplane
- Funnel
Ingredients
- 3 cans condensed milk
- 3 cans coconut milk
- 3 cans evaporated milk
- 4 cups white rum
- 12 egg yolks (We will be doing this in 3 batches so separate them 4 at a time. Reserve the egg whites for cinnamon meringues)
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- 6 vanilla beans
- .5 teaspoon or so (this one is not terribly scientific) freshly ground Nutmeg
- 3 teaspoons quality bourbon
Time: Working, about a half hour. Best done a day ahead so it can sit in the fridge and chill.
Yield: 1 gallon. Good for about 20-30 adults.
Instructions:
- Pour the rum and the bourbon into the jug
- Separate 4 eggs put the yolks in the blender
- Open one can each of the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and coconut milk ant put the contents in the blender
- Put a half teaspoon of cinnamon in the blender
- Split two vanilla beans and scrape the spectacularly awesome goop inside into the blender
- Using the microplane, grate a generous little sprinkle of nutmeg into the blender
- Put the lid on the blender (I really shouldn’t have to say that) and turn it on to “blend” or medium high or whatever your blender says in the medium high range of speeds.
- Use the funnel to pour into the jug.
- Repeat steps 2-8 two more times
- You should end up with about a cup of left over, non alcoholic mix. This is very handy to reward any children you may have roped into separating the eggs
- Put the cap on the jug and shake violently for a couple of seconds, being careful not to release the jug so that it does not fly through the air and smash spilling a gallon of very sticky, boozy nog all over your kitchen.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and serve.
NOTE: You could cut down the alcohol and stop after one repetition. Figure each of the 3 additions is enough for 10 adults. You could also make this without alcohol but … why?
Practically Eating 