Coquito Recipes: From Drinks To Cheesecake, Give A Boozy Twist To The Holidays

Puerto Ricans create it and we embrace it! Coquito is for sure one of the most savory, creamy and tempting drinks of the season. If you don’t know what it is made of, it's a coconut-based beverage generally made with rum, coconut milk, sweet condensed milk and some spices.

Multiple recipes can be found all over the Internet but since we love to make your life easier we bring you three recipes to give a boozy twist to this tropical drink.

• Cinnamon Classic Coquito:

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INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 ounce cans condensed milk

2 1/4 ounce cans evaporated milk

2 1/4 ounce cans coconut milk

4 ounces pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon

nutmeg

14 ounces white Puerto Rican rum

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients into a blender and mix until well combined. Transfer mixture into glass bottle (1 gallon-sized or 3 liter-sized) and refrigerate overnight. Serve in a glass of your choice and top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

• Coquito Cheesecake Flan:

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INGREDIENTS

• For the rum caramel:

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

3-4 tablespoons dark rum

2 medium sized cinnamon sticks

• For the flan:

1 14 oz can condensed milk

1 14 oz can evaporated milk

1 15 oz can coconut milk

1 15 oz can sweetened cream of coconut*

8 oz. cream cheese

5 eggs, medium or large

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup dark rum

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300 Fahrenheit. Place 15 4 oz. ramekins on a large roasting pan or a cookie sheet. You may need 2 cookie sheets or pans for this. Prepare your custard.

• Make the coquito custard:

Combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, sweetened cream of coconut, cream cheese, eggs, spices, vanilla extract, and rum in a blender. An immersion blender works very well here too. Blend until completely smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain custard mixture over a large measuring cup with a lip and set aside. Prepare the rum caramel.

• Make the rum caramel:

Combine the sugar, water, dark rum, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar is completely coated by the liquids and somewhat dissolved.

Cook over medium/high head and bring to a boil, without stirring, until the caramel turns a copper brown color. This can take anywhere from 8-15 minutes depending on your stove, so please make sure watch it so it doesn't burn.

Grab the saucepan handle and quickly (but carefully) pour the caramel over the bottom of each ramekin.

Immediately following the caramel, pour the custard into the ramekins. Do not fill ramekins to the top. Place the roasting pans or cookie sheets in the oven and pour water about halfway up the side of your flan vessel. Bake for about 60 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. When nudged the flan should jiggle slightly.

• Coquito Cupcakes with Buttercream:

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INGREDIENTS

• Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ cup coquito

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Spice Rum Buttercream:

5 large egg whites

11/2 cup sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ cup spiced rum

DIRECTIONS

• To make cupcake:

Measure out flour and set aside. Add sugar and butter in a bowl and cream on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs in 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the coquito and vanilla to start. Mix after addition until incorporated-do not overbeat.

Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cupcakes from tins to cooling rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

• To make Spice Rum Buttercream:

Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.

Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks.

Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking at first-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again.

Add salt and spiced rum and mix to combine.

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