"Coquito" is a Puerto Rican version of Egg Nog. This traditional drink is made during the Christmas Holiday in Puerto Rico. In the original version is customary to crack a coconut open and use the fresh coconut water; it is also customary to use raw eggs, and to add rum. My version of the drink will not require raw eggs or a fresh crack coconut. You can add rum to the mixture if you don't want a virgin "coquito". My version is quick and easy and will deliver the same great taste of the traditional drink. “Coquito” makes a great Christmas gift!

Step 1: Ingredients:

2 cans cream of coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
6oz. white rum (optional)

Step 2: Get the Cans Opened:

It is good to have all your ingredients ready before you start to mix them in the blender. This will make it faster. Open both cans of cream of coconut completely. Because the cream of coconut is not quite liquid you will need the can opened completely. Open the can of sweetened condense milk. This is also a thick mixture, if you do not open the can completely it will be time consuming when pouring into the blender. Last, open the can of evaporated milk. I open it in both sides to make the milk comes out of the can faster. Refer to the pictures for images of the can openers that are needed for this recipe.

Step 3: Measure All Your Ingredients:

Measure your spices and the vanilla extract. Remember, it is 1/4 tsp for the clove and cinnamon, the nutmeg is only 1/8 tsp, and the vanilla extract is 1 tsp. Figure 4 will show the measurements. Please be advised that I had to improvise with the nutmeg measurement because I did not have a 1/8 tsp measurement instrument.

Step 4: Preparation:

Mix all your ingredients together in a blender. You might need to use a spoon to get the cream of coconut out of the can. When making this drink virgin (without rum) some people adds 6 oz. of milk in place of the rum to make the drink less thick, again this is optional. If you are using rum the recommended amount is 6 oz. of white rum. Most Puerto Ricans use rum Bacardi. Make sure to set your blender on High and mix for at least 5 minutes.

Step 5: Bottle It Up:

Once all the ingredients are mixed transfer you coquito into a bottle using a funnel. Then refrigerate and serve cold. For the holidays I pour the drink in old wine bottles and give them as gift. It is a good gift to bring when invited to a party.
All that is left for you to do is to sip and enjoy!