Bartending/Cocktails/Coquito

Coquito is a Puerto Rican coconut egg-nog served on Christmas and New year's. The drink is often served in a shot glass garnished with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 6oz can cream of coconut (Coco-Lopez)
• 12oz can evaporated milk
• 14oz can of coconut milk or home made
• 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 4oz dark rum
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4 tsp of whole cloves
• ground nutmeg and cinnamon for garnish
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. In the top of a double boiler, combine egg yolks and evaporated milk. Stirring constantly, cook over lightly simmering water until mixture reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2. First remove the seeds from vanilla skin. Hold the bean down on either end. With the tip of a paring knife, poke a hole in the top and slide it down the bean, splitting it in half lengthwise. Open it with the knife tip and scrape down, collecting the seeds on the blade.
3. Start by boiling the vanilla seeds and skin (not vanilla extract), cinnamon sticks, clove and star anise in the 1 cups of water. Reduce to 1/2 cup. When the water turns yellow and has the smell and you can taste the spices, take the spices out.
4. Add coconut milk, cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk to spiced water and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes or until a slight boil. Remove and cool.
5. Once cool mix in eggs, rum and vanilla extract if using extract.
6. Refrigerator serve cold in shot glasses, or with ice in tumblers. Garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon.

(NOTE: It is extremely important that you make sure there are as little clumps in the mixture as possible!)