Crema de Vie (Cuban Eggnog Recipe)
Crema de vie is the Cuban version of eggnog. It only requires condensed milk, egg yolks, sugar, aromatic spices and light rum, yielding a creamy, sweet drink best enjoyed with family and friends.
Equipment
- Whisk (to whisk the eggs yolks)
- small saucepan (to cook the egg yolks)
- fine mesh sieve
- high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 240 ml (1 cup) water
- 240 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 whole star anise pods
- 1 tin (397g/330 ml) condensed milk
- 180 ml (¾ cup) light rum (unaged or lightly aged Cuban or any Spanish style rum)
- ground nutmeg (optional) freshly grated
Instructions
- Combine water and sugar in a pan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Add two cinnamon sticks, two whole cloves and two whole star anise pods. Lower the heat and simmer until you obtain a syrup with a fine thread consistency. Set the syrup aside and dispose the spices.
- Separate the yolk of six eggs into a small saucepan. Add the salt and vanilla extract to the egg yolks and whisk them to combine.
- Separate half of the hot sugar syrup and combine with three or four tablespoons of condensed milk. Temper the yolks by slowly adding the hot syrup and milk mix while whisking. Mixing the hot syrup in slowly is important to save yourself from making scrambled eggs. Place the saucepan on the hobs over low heat and cook for2-3 minutes stirring constantly. This will help reduce the risk of salmonella present in eggs. Turn off the heat and set the mix aside.
- To the jug of a high-speed blender, add the contents of the saucepan through a fine mesh sieve. Add the rest of the condensed milk and blend at the lowest speed. With the blender still on, slowly add the other half of the sugar syrup through the sieve. Add the rum and close the lid of the jug. Continue blending for approximately 1 minute to obtain a smooth and frothy mix.
- Empty the contents of the jug in a clear glass bottle. Drop a cinnamon stick inside the bottle and close it. Leave to cool down at ambience temperature. Then place the bottle in the fridge to chill for at least two hours. Serve in small glasses with grated nutmeg or cinnamon on top and enjoy!
Notes
Allergy info: milk, eggs.
Servings: 11 glasses (60-65 ml in each glass)
Yields: 700 ml approximately