Christmas was my favorite holiday growing up. As a kid, I got my hands dirty making rum balls for my mom’s friends, assisted wrapping the presents and helped trim the tree. When my grandma got older and no one was longer interested in the rigor of the rituals, I started orchestrating the festivities myself. Inevitably, it became the most magical season and I inhaled everything Christmas.
So imagine the look on my face when I first drank (commercially prepared) eggnog, an iconic holiday drink here in the US. If I remember it correctly, it was a look of confusion. It was thick, cloyingly sweet, and eggy. Very eggy. I was sure I’d enjoy it, because… Christmas! I like everything about Christmas. It was a lesson learned: just because you like something, doesn’t mean you have to like the totality of it.
To my Filipino (and Latino/a/x) readers who may not have tried eggnog, the simplest way I could explain what eggnog tastes like, is that it is a liquid flan. Now flan is something I do get excited about. I LOVE flan. And coincidentally, it is typically on our noche buena (Christmas eve) buffet , served next to the ube halaya.
A dear friend of mine who took a work trip to visit Seattle brought a bottle of Ube Cream Liqueur as a present for me. (Thanks, Rommel!) And I’ve written about ube’s heyday in a prior blog post, but I’d say with pride, “The Filipinos have outdone themselves!”. The packaging is unique, but classy; and not only that, it speaks to their heritage. The process of uncorking it was also entertaining, and the liqueur itself is dreamy. Top notes of ube, cream in the middle, and a bite of the alcohol in the finish. It’s like dessert in a shot glass, which was our glassware of choice at that time.
Going back to the eggnog: you ask me, “why on earth did I even plan on making something I don’t even care for?” The answer is: I’m not sure. Maybe I’m getting nostalgic for the flan and ube combination? Maybe it’s age that makes it sound more appealing? I’m not sure. But in the process of developing this recipe, I had a clear goal in mind: curiosity. “What if…?” And that “what if” question has led me to a tropical twist on eggnog (which we surprisingly approve of). Now, adding the ube liqueur and the rum, it’s like noche buena in your mouth.
So, stay curious, my friends! And happy holidays from our family to yours.
Ube Coco- nog Cocktail
For the cocktail:
1/2 fl oz dark rum
¼ cup ube cream liqueur
¾ cup ube coco-nog, recipe below or use store bought coconut eggnog
Toasted coconut chips for garnish
Ground cardamom, for garnish
Ground ginger, for garnish
Ice for serving
For the coco-nog:
7 large egg yolks*
1/2 cup toasted sugar*
1 cup coconut cream, full fat
2 cups coconut beverage
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground ginger
A pinch of salt
Instructions for Coco- Nog:
In a saucepan, heat coconut cream, coconut beverage, cardamom, ginger and salt until it reaches a simmer. Remove immediately from heat.
Whisk yolks and sugar together in a bowl until creamy. We are now going to temper the eggs by taking a scoop of the heated coconut cream and coconut beverage and pouring it into the bowl of eggs. Immediately whisk vigorously. Continue adding scoopfuls of the cream and beverage and whisking until you’ve poured ⅔ in the bowl of eggs. At this point, you can pour the rest of the spiced cream and beverage and whisk until fully combined.
You can now enjoy the coco-nog alcohol-free or allow it to cool before making your cocktail.
Notes:
*Seven eggs, because the yolks have become noticeably smaller, but every batch of eggs are different. Play with the amount you put, as it changes the flavor and the richness of your coco- nog.
*Feel free to use cane sugar or for a more coconut-ty flavor, substitute with coconut sugar.
*The coco-nog will thicken slightly as it cools.
Inspired By:
Hey It's Jen Lou 