Coquito, Tropical Coconut Eggnog from Puerto Rico

Coquito is spiced, creamy, and full of rum. This Caribbean version of our traditional eggnog hails from Puerto Rico where it is a must have for every party during Christmas time.

Also now a must have at my house, everybody who tries it falls in love! Coconut, sugar and dairy products create a creamy base for rum. It is the tropics and christmas of memories all in a glass. (FYI, if you are lactose free, check out my recipe for Goat Coquito!)

Rich and strong, it can surely be dangerous if not drank from small glasses or at least in short pours. The richness will likley stop you before things get out of hand, If it is to be compared to anything else, it might be coconut custard, or melted ice cream.

Give it as gifts, or to bring to parties, typically it is put into reused liquor or clear wine bottles with stoppers. This has a cute DIY homemade feel to it as a gift.

These are my adorable bottles all filled and ready to gift away. I am now so enchanted with them it will be tough to part with them.

(Just note, it should remain refrigerated.)

Coquito, when looked up in the dictionary, translates not only into "eggnog" but also:
1) A small coconut.
2) Grimace to amuse children.
   (hacer coquitos)
3) A turtle dove of Mexico, having a song like the couckoo's.

Much like traditional English eggnog there is milk, cinnamon, and sometimes eggs, but not in mine. The eggs are not necessary to give it thickness and body, the coconut does that work. I have to say it is terribly easy to whip up with a blender, as most of it comes from cans and it is a matter of pouring, blending, tasting and serving it up in a pretty way.

In each bottle or jar place a cinnamon stick. When you go to shake it up before pouring, the cinnamon stick bangs around to help mix it up.

Coquito, made without eggs, could last in the fridge for likley a long time. However, good luck keeping it around longer than a week. You would have to hide it in the back of the fridge. Delicious!

Ceylon cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla comprise all the spices. The three of them are complex all together and people can't easily place what they are drinking, which is fun. I used a vanilla bean powder, but extract or a real bean would be great.






Cinnamon is a key flavor here, and for best results use real Mexican cinnamon, (aka Ceylon cinnamon, soft stick cinnamon, or canela.) The flavor is less aggressive than the typical cinnamon we find in the states. It smells heavenly, has notes of citrus and is very complex. I am lucky to be treasuring a small stash of cinnamon sticks from Granada brought to me as a gift. This seeming the perfect time to use them I blitzed them to dust in my spice grinder (right...coffee grinder.)

This is freshly ground cinnamon. And then all the spices laying atop the coconut milk.

Coquito 

• 1 can condensed milk
• 2 can evaporated milk
• 1 can coconut milk (unsweetened cooking variety)
• 1 can coconut creme (coco lopez)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 375 ml white rum (Don Q or Bicardi)

Simply open all the cans, measure the spices and rum. Using a blender, whip it into a frothy wonderland. In my regular sized blender is two batches of blending. Have a larger container ready to mix the two batches together before pouring them into bottles for gifting and serving. Store in the refrigerator, where it will have a chance to thicken up.

Serve cold in small amounts over ice, or not. For best results drink and share with friends in festive atmosphere.

Check out my Coquito de Cabra if you prefer goats milk to cows. It works and is just as yummy.