It is said that this eggnog recipe was created by the colonial- era nuns at the Convent of Santa Clara in Puebla! Whether this is true or not, is relatively unimportant but but everyone knows that, to this day, this Santa Clara recipe is one of the most popular in Mexico – since it’s the time of the year when families remember they love one another and try to do as much as possible together, why not make it at home? Unlike American eggnog, rompope is already well laced with alcohol, and not too moderately, which means that it does not need to have any rum or brandy added.

Ingredients

• 12 egg yolks, well whisked
• 2 litres milk
• 800 ml Demerara sugar
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 2 large cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 ml  grain alcohol (96% proof) – I you can’t buy it in your country, use 400ml rum or brandy

Method

• Bring the milk to the boil with the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and the cinnamon, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Bring to the boil again, remove from the heat and cool down again.
• Now whisk in the sugar, the vanilla and the beaten egg yolks.
• Return the mixture to the heat, simmer gently and stir constantly until the base of the pot becomes visible when stirring.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool down, finally stirring in grain alcohol or rum.