Ponche de Creme
It won’t be a Trini Christmas if there wasn’t a glass of sorrel, or a bottle of Ponche de Creme on the menu!
Happy Christmas! Still can’t believe it’s here already, but time waits on no one, and I’m seeing that with all the Christmas preparations still left to do. I’m thinking that somethings are definitely going to be left out, but one thing for sure that is going on the list is a bottle or three of Ponche de Creme or Eggnog as some of you may know it.
I may not be able to have milk all the time, but if there is ever a time I will be making an exception, it’s Christmas, because what would Christmas be without a little Ponche Creme or Eggnog.
I’m even thinking to leave a little out for Santa with his cookies….Okay maybe we shouldn’t give Santa the Ponche Creme with cookies; he does have a sleigh to drive after all. But for sure were going to be serving this to our guests on Christmas day.
Rich and creamy, with a Rum kick, my Ponche de Creme recipe cooks to eggs over a double boiler for that extra creaminess and to ensure that my eggs are cooked before serving to people.
(I have a real fear or salmonella food poisoning, so no raw eggs allowed here!) It does take a little extra work, but it’s worth it for my peace of mind, and I can tell you for sure it makes for such a smooth drink that I can’t see myself making it any other way.
I always thought that making this holiday classic would be much more difficult, but it really is quite simple and we’ve broken it down into 3 steps with pics to help you along.
Step One:
Bring a medium sauce pan half way filled with water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. In a heat safe glass bowl or stainless steel bowl, combine sugar and eggs. Whisk to combine then place bowl over boiling water (to create a double boiler) and whisk the eggs continuously until they are white and creamy to prevent the eggs cooking. This may take about 5 minutes or so.
Step Two:
Once your eggs are cooked, remove from heat and pass through a strainer to remove any chunky egg particles that may have formed while cooking. next add evaporated milk and condensed milk, whisking to combine.Step Three:
Next add cinnamon, nutmeg, lime or lemon zest and the dash of bitters. Stir to combine and at this stage you can chill or serve over crushed ice for a non-alcoholic version. Finally pour in rum and whisk once more to ensure all your ingredients are well mixed. Serve chilled over crushed ice with a dash of bitters and a sprinkle of cinnamon. This is a great treat when paired with my gluten free Easy Sugar Cookies.
Yield: One 750ml Bottle
Ponche de Creme
Christmas in Trinidad would not be the same without a glass of Ponche de Creme to sip on, also know as Eggnog. Rich and creamy with a boozy rum kick!
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups evaporated milk
- 1/3 cup condensed milk
- zest of 1/2 lime or lemon (about 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (plus more for topping)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- dash of Angostura Bitters
- 1 cup of Rum
Instructions
- Bring a medium sauce pan half way filled with water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- In a heat safe glass bowl or stainless steel bowl, combine sugar and eggs. Whisk to combine then place bowl over boiling water (to create a sort of double boiler) and whisk the eggs continuously until they are pale and creamy to prevent the eggs scrambling. This may take about 5 minutes or so.
- Once your eggs are cooked, remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a large bowl to remove any egg particles that may have formed while cooking.
- Next add evaporated milk and condensed milk, whisking to combine. Then add cinnamon, nutmeg, lime or lemon zest and the dash of bitters. Stir or whisk to combine. At this stage you can chill or serve over crushed ice for a non-alcoholic version.
- Finally pour in rum and whisk once more to ensure all your ingredients are well mixed. Serve chilled over crushed ice with a dash of bitters and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
