Coquito

Puerto Rican Spiced Rum Eggnog...

A TRUE favorite and highly requested during the holidays...

Ingredients:

• 2 15-ounce cans cream of coconut (we like Coco Lopez)
• 2 14-ounce cans condensed milk
• 2 14-ounce cans of evaporated milk
• 20 ounces white rum (use less , or more if you like)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender. 2. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Serve cold.

**Tip** Can be made a day ahead, and also yummy Virgin... if you don't have the spices, it also tastes delicious without them...



 

Alcapurria (Puerto Rican Fritters)

 

Ingredients

• Yautía (taro root) -- 1 pound
• Green bananas (see notes) -- 4
• Sofrito -- 2 teaspoons
• Salt -- 1 teaspoon
• Beef Filling-- 2 cups
• Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Peel the yautía and grate it on a fine grater into a large bowl. 
2. Peel the green bananas and grate them into the same bowl. 
3. Add the Sofrito and salt and mix together well. Place the Mixture in a food processor and pulse until the it is fairly smooth and texture is consistent and it should feel a little like dough.
4. Cut a banana leaf, piece of wax or parchment paper into a round shape slightly larger than your hand. 
5. Put about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the round and spread it out a bit. 
6. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the beef filling in the middle of the mixture. 
7. Using the round, fold the batter up and around the filling, completely enclosing it. Form it into a smooth, oval round and set it aside. 
8. Continue with the remaining mixture and filling until it is used up.
9. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large pan or deep fryer to about 370°F. Drop a few of the alcapurrias at a time into the oil and fry until well browned.

TipS**

• **Be sure ot to add too many at a time, for it can greatly reduce the temperature of the oil**
• ** Be Creative with the fillings try using crabmeat, shrimp, lobster chopped chicken or chopped turkey **.
• **Besides yautía and green bananas, try using plantains, yuca (cassava) or potatoes in your masa**
• ** Some cooks add a little vinegar to the dough. It both flavors it and probably helps to keep it from browning too much**
• **Chilling the masa first makes it easier to handle.**
• **Alcapurrias freeze well. Since you're going through the process may want to double or triple the recipe and freeze a few for later.. lol.. Just place them on a baking sheet raw and put in the freezer until they are frozen. Then transfer them to an airtight bag and return to the freezer. Drop frozen alcapurrias directly into the hot oil to cook.