Ponche de crème, sometimes called punch a crema, is an eggnog type drink – like the black cake I posted about recently – enjoyed in Trinidad & Tobago only at Christmas.
It consists primarily of eggs, milk, rum and ground nutmeg. Although the eggs aren’t cooked, don’t worry about food poisoning, the rum content will put paid to any bugs. I would, however, recommend removing the chalazae (the white coily bits that hold the yolk in place) from the eggs. An easy way to do this is to use a jagged edge of broken egg shell.
The proportions of ingredients used is personal preference – some prefer it sweeter, some milkier, others packing more of a punch. The generally accepted quantities are 8 eggs to 3 tins of evaporated milk to 1½ tins of condensed milk and 250ml/9 fl oz of rum. I’ve used dark rum, but it’s often made with super-strong puncheon rum.
Once made, the ponche de crème should be kept in the fridge (in sterilised bottles). If you can, leave it for a few days before drinking – tipping the bottle up & down a few times during that time – so that the flavour can develop.
Serve over ice in a high ball glass – preferably whilst listening to some parang on your music system. It can keep for months in the fridge – but I promise you, it won’t last that long! If you fancy trying ponche de crème this Christmas, save the recipe to Pinterest.
Here’s calypsonian, Lord Kitchener, singing a very famous song celebrating the festive libation.
Trinidad ponche de crème
Ingredients
- 6 eggs chalazae removed (the white stringy bits)
- zest of 1 lime peeled thickly
- 600 g/21oz/1.5 cans condensed milk
- 820 g /29oz/3 tins evaporated milk
- 500 ml/17.5 fl oz rum
- 1 tsp Angostura Bitters
- 1 tsp ground/grated nutmeg
Instructions
- In a large measuring jug (2.5 litre) or mixing bowl with a spout, whisk the eggs with the lime peel (using the peel cuts through the 'eggy' taste) until pale and aerated
- Whilst still whisking, pour in the condensed milk
- Continuing to whisk, pour in the evaporated milk
- Stir in the rum and the bitters
- Sprinkle ground/grated nutmeg and stir through
- Remove the lime peel and decant the mixture into sterilised bottles and keep refrigerated (it will keep for months)
