Salud!

I don't know anyone who truly likes egg nog.
And then they try our Cuban Egg Nog and all perception changes.
We call it Creme de Vie. ("creme" rhymes with Auntie M. and "vie" rhymes with More For Me! =D)

Rather than making cookies for gifts, we make and "package" the Creme de Vie. (we also keep a whole lot for ourselves, too.)
Typically we make it for the non-Cuban side of the family.  They seem to like it. Or at least they are very polite about it.
They have not yet asked us to stop, anyway. =D

Here is our super secret family recipe. Guard it with your life!

Creme de Vie (Cuban Egg Nog)
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
6 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup rum (make it Bacardi for the Cubanness of it)

Mix the sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved over very low heat, stirring constantly - about 3 minutes . It has to be low so the sugar doesn't carmelize, but makes a thick sugary water. Put the egg yolks in a blender and mix with the condensed milk.  Slowly add the evaporated milk and mix completely.  Flavor with the vanilla.  Add the sugar water and finally the rum as a preservative. ;-)

Now that I've told you, I'm going to have to kill you.

Comments

[Lee Laden]

So kill me, already! I'm going food shopping tomorrow and will pick up the ingredients for the recipe you so sweetly shared with us.

[Kristen]

I am going to make this for Robert for Christmas. He loves egg nog (I don't but I will dutifully try yours and maybe I will :o). He will be so suprised I am giving him egg nog...thanks for the great Christmas idea for him.

[Val Prieto]

Right now, as I type this, there are 7 bottles of Crema de Vie, made by my mom, cooling ever so perfectly in my refrigerator.

Yum.

[Marta]

Kristen -
Robert will think you are a golden goddess. Enjoy.

[Marta]

Val-
7?? Your mom is to be praised with great praise.
Is there anything better than being Cuban at this time of year??? =D

[Cigar Mike Pancier]

And if you add a can of coco lopez to that same recipe plus cinnamon and nutmeg, you have coquito. I use something similar to your recipe except I add 1/2 cup white bacardi and 1/2 cup dark bacardi....I don't add water like you do... have a great holiday ...

[Melek]

Thanks for sharing Marta!

In some of my "crema de vie", I substitute the water for coconut milk (similar to Mike's)... so we have two variations ... to satisfiy all tastes ... :)

Feliz Navidad y Prospero 2007! ~ Melek

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."~W.T. Ellis

[Orlando]

Marta,

I do the same thing, this my favorite gift to give my American friends. Right after Thanksgiving they start asking for it. I use cinammon sticks in the making of the syrup and star anise. I also use real heavy cream instead of evaporated milk. The rum really does the trick as a preservative, I have kept some in my refrigerator for over two years and it tates just as good as when it was made. Cheers, and Feliz Navidad!

[Marta]

Mike and Melek -
I didn't know about the coquito. I will certainly try it.
Because you were all so generous to share, I think I'll spare your lives. =D
Feliz Navidad to you all!

[La Ventanita]

Ahh coquito. since my parents settled in Puerto Rico, I gre up on the stuff. A good recipe to folloe is
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cans condensed milk
2 cans coconut milk NOT coco lopez
6 egg yolks
1.5 to 2 cups of Don Q Cristal Rum (tastes much better; if you use Bacardi try it out first)

Mix all the milks with the yolks first. Once well blended, add the rum and remix. It should give you close to three bottles of wine.

Now that I have your creme de vie recipe I will try it out for next year!

[Marta]

Ventanita -
Thanks so much for sharing! I'll even try it your way with the Don Q. You obviously know your coquito. =D

[vivian v. rodriguez]

here's another version

6 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 cans condensed milk
1 tbls. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup anisette tea (cooled so the eggs don't cook)
3/4 cup rum
3/4 pernod

I love the bottles you used to give as gifts. I couldn't find any. Where did you get them.

Do you guys live in l.a.? The trip to Porto's gives you away.

A friend of mine took me there when I first moved to California. It's fantastic, but kinda of far if you live in brentwood.

xoxo

[Esther]

I was surfing the web, trying to find a variation of our not-so-super-secret family recipe for creme de vie...and found you.
I make it here in Spain for friends and family. It makes a great teacher's gift too.
I use Malibu instead of Bacardi(*blush* my grandmother will be turning in her grave)to give it that coconutty taste.
It is great being cuban at Christmas time!!!
Happy Holidays to all!

[viviana]

how many servings?

[Jessica]

Marta, I have to ask- what is the shelf life on this? I remember my tia keeping it in the fridge and it seemed like it never went bad, but my restaurant manager husband seems to disagree. lol.

[Nikki]

Where did you find those beautiful
Bottles. I have been looking for
something like that forever! Love it!

[soyyo!]

How in the world have you had it for two years instead of drinking it!!!!!!!!!!

[soyyo!]

We always served it in shot glasses, and savored it (and seconds, of course).

[soyyo!]

Feliz Dia de Reys everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
We did not have Creme de Vie this year. My dad used to make it, and my mom continued the tradition for a while, but calories and time have cut into this tradition...of course, we still have Turron! We were dissapointed this year when we could not get the Alicante locally, but a cousin from Miami generously brought some up for us.
I'm going to have to look up the details of our Creme de Vie recipe. The anise and coconut and cinnamon are definitely variations, but not 'truly' "Creme de Vie" (kind of like a 'vodka martini'....not really a martini since ingredients are different).
Flan de Leche is always a standard at our Nochebuena dinner, and the non-Cubans love it as much as the Cubans (or 'partial' Cubans). The menu has to be roast pork (we use a pork loing from Sam's Club), white rice, and my mom's fabulous black beans. This year she also made 'platanos de pun~etazo' or as others call them, 'tostones'. The non-cubans always add a vegetable dish...