Coquito: Puerto Rican Eggnog

Have you ever had coquito? When I was younger, I used to be an eggnog connoisseur! Every year, I would seek out eggnog recipes from all over the world to taste. One of the best I ever had is coquito!

In Puerto Rico, coquito is made with rum. Since I am a Latter-Day Saint, I don't drink. So, I make mine without rum. (I am sure someone is going to write to me and tell me that it isn't really coquito if it doesn't have rum in it!  Nevertheless, this is the way I make and drink it!)

This recipe is made with sweetened condensed milk. I know that some people don't like sweetened condensed milk. I can understand that. It does have a bit of a 'canned milk' taste to it. Not to worry! Did you know that you can make your own sweetened condensed milk? There isn't any 'canned milk' taste at all when you make your own! I would hate for you to not try this recipe just because you don't like sweetened condensed milk!

So, here we go! Links to sweetened condensed milk recipes follows directly below the coquito recipe.

Coquito
3 egg yolks, beaten
A 12 oz. can of evaporated milk (You can use coconut milk, if you would like.)
A 14 oz. can of cream of coconut. (I use Coco Lopez. If you can't find Coco Lopez in the canned milk aisle of your store, try the alcoholic drink mix aisle.)
A 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup half & half or milk  (Sometimes I use light cream.)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (Sometimes I use nutmeg.)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla (I usually use 1/2 TBS. I make my own, you can see how to do that here.)

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
Homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe #1 (This recipe requires the most effort of the three, but is really good!)
Homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe #2  (This recipe is the fastest and easiest to make.)
Homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe #3  (This recipe uses canned evaporated milk.)

Start by beating the eggs well. I used a whisk. They should be thick. In a saucepan, combine the eggs and evaporated milk. Mix well and heat on low heat stirring constantly. The mixture needs to cook until it reaches 160 degrees. When ready, it should be very thick and coat a metal spoon. 

Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix in a blender. My suggestion is to use an electric blender. You will need to mix this well each time you serve it. (It tends to separate.) In my experience, shaking  the mixture doesn't really blend it well so an electric blender is needed.

Serve chilled. As it chills, it gets really thick and creamy! Coquito isn't really for drinking as much as it is for sipping. It makes a great dessert! If I could, I would have this every day of the year, it is THAT good! Unfortunately, eggnog doesn't like me anymore so I must limit my consumption to a few sips on Christmas day.

If you have never had coquito, try this recipe! If you love eggnog, you will not be disappointed!