Coquito Balls Caribbean Style Rum Balls Recipes

COQUITO BALLS (CARIBBEAN-STYLE RUM BALLS)

Steps:

• Place coconut flakes in food processor and pulse until finely chopped with some chunks of coconut still visible; do not process to a powdered consistency. Transfer to a bowl and mix with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Set aside.
• Process coconut cookies in batches in the food processor until they become fine crumbs. When all cookies have been processed, measure 5 cups crumbs and pour them into a large mixing bowl. Discard any additional crumbs or reserve for another use.
• Add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the mixing bowl and mix with cookie crumbs until well combined.
• Mix together rum and sweetened condensed milk in a small measuring cup; pour slowly into the cookie crumb mixture, stirring to combine. Mix everything until well blended.
• Use your hands to form dough into about thirty-six 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll each ball in the reserved coconut-sugar mixture until well coated, lightly pressing in the coconut topping. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve or gift.

COCONUT RUM BALLS

Steps:

• Whisk crushed wafers, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Stir in coconut and pecans. In a separate bowl, whisk corn syrup and rum; stir into wafer mixture. Shape into 1-in. balls; let stand 1 hour., Roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container.

COQUITO BALLS (CARIBBEAN-STYLE RUM BALLS)

Steps:

• Place coconut flakes in food processor and pulse until finely chopped with some chunks of coconut still visible; do not process to a powdered consistency. Transfer to a bowl and mix with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Set aside.
• Process coconut cookies in batches in the food processor until they become fine crumbs. When all cookies have been processed, measure 5 cups crumbs and pour them into a large mixing bowl. Discard any additional crumbs or reserve for another use.
• Add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the mixing bowl and mix with cookie crumbs until well combined.
• Mix together rum and sweetened condensed milk in a small measuring cup; pour slowly into the cookie crumb mixture, stirring to combine. Mix everything until well blended.
• Use your hands to form dough into about thirty-six 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll each ball in the reserved coconut-sugar mixture until well coated, lightly pressing in the coconut topping. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve or gift.

COQUITO

Steps:

• If using canned coconut cream, skip to Step 3. If using fresh coconuts, puncture one or two of the eyes of each coconut with a sharp knife or screwdriver; strain the coconut water into a bowl. Place coconuts on a stable surface, supported by a kitchen towel. Using a hammer, crack each coconut into 3 or 4 pieces. Slip a thin knife between the flesh and shell to separate it. (To make this easier, you can roast the coconut pieces on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.) Discard shells. Break or chop coconut flesh into 1-inch pieces.
• Place about 1/3 of the pieces in a blender with 1 cup strained coconut water. Blend until coconut is broken into about 1/8-inch pieces; place in a clean dish towel and squeeze over a bowl to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve coconut bits for another use. Pour 1 cup of the liquid back into the blender with another 1/3 of the coconut pieces, blend, then squeeze to extract liquid. Repeat with final 1/3 of coconut pieces. Measure out 3 1/3 cups of fresh coconut cream. (If necessary, blend another cup of coconut water with a batch of coconut bits, and squeeze again to extract more liquid from the coconut until you have 3 1/3 cups.)
• In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. To a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of the coconut cream and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Whisking the egg yolks constantly, slowly pour the hot mixture into yolks, until smooth and frothy. Stir in the rum, if using, salt, and the remaining coconut cream.
• Strain the coquito through a fine-mesh strainer into bottles or jars. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 1 week. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Shake well, pour into glasses, sprinkle with nutmeg and serve immediately.