Cola de mono - Pilar Hernández's Chilean Cuisine
December has begun, and I'm diving headfirst into Christmas recipes. I hope they help you plan your holidays in advance and without stress, or at least not too much stress. We'll start with Cola de Mono, a drink that's a must-have at holiday parties in Chile and the US.
- 3 cups of milk
- 300 ml of pisco or other spirit; in the USA: vodka, grappa, or brandy
- 1 jar (395 grams) of condensed milk or 125 grams of granulated sugar
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick about 6 cm long
- allspice or Jamaican pepper, cardamom seeds, star anise and grated nutmeg, optional
- 2 freshly made double espressos or 4 tablespoons of instant coffee (use Colombian Nescafé)
- In a medium saucepan, place the milk, condensed milk or sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and other spices.
- Heat over medium-high heat. Keep an eye on it because the milk boils over easily.
- When the milk is lukewarm, take out a little and dissolve the coffee in it, return everything to the pot and continue heating and stirring occasionally (if using Nescafé).
- Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it boil for 5 minutes.
- Once off the heat, add the espressos.
- Let it cool, strain it, and add the liquor.
- Add more liquor if desired.
- Bottle and keep refrigerated for up to 10-12 days.
In this article you will find the recipe for cola de mono with condensed milk and the oldest one with egg yolks; the condensed milk or the egg yolks give the drink its creamy texture.
Here in the US, we've tried making it with bourbon, rum, tequila, and vodka for those who can't get pisco. The closest thing is with vodka. Any spirit will do; several people on Facebook suggested Argentinian or Italian grappa, or brandy, and it's good too. Really, it's a matter of personal taste, and in my family, we always made a non-alcoholic version for the kids.
I like to serve Cola de Mono with ice, but I think that's less common, and you can also sprinkle a little cinnamon on it when serving.
Where to buy pisco in the USA?
Here in Houston you can find pisco at Spec and most liquor stores. It's the same in Seattle, although it's easier to find Peruvian pisco, but it also goes well in cola de mono.
Description
Egg-free version, easier (especially if you have no experience tempering eggs)
- Sugar: 31.5 g
- Sodium: 105.6 mg
- Fat: 7.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.9 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- 1 liter of milk
- 300 ml of pisco or other spirit, in the USA vodka
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons of instant coffee (use Colombian Nescafé)
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- In a medium saucepan, place the milk, cloves, and cinnamon.
- When the milk is lukewarm, take out a little and dissolve the coffee in it, return everything to the pot and continue heating and stirring occasionally.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until well mixed, about a minute with a fork.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and take out a ladleful of hot milk and add it to the egg yolk mixture, always whisking; repeat with 2-3 ladlefuls of milk.
- Return everything to the pot and continue heating and stirring until thickened. Increase the heat to medium. Cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Let it cool and add the vanilla and the liqueur.
- Taste and adjust the sugar and liqueur to your liking. Strain.
