Recipe: Coconut Panna Cotta "Tembleque" Style

In the Kitchen with Celeb Chef Doreen Colondres



Puerto Rican-born culinary expert Doreen Colondres is a natural-born cook, and one of the busiest women we’ve ever met. The food editor of Siempre Mujer magazine is constantly cooking up a storm on television and at home. After all, she’s been in the kitchen since age nine.

“When I was little, I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with my grandma,” says the celeb chef. “I also used to play with pots and pans in the backyard, adding flowers and grass to them. I was always pretending I was cooking.”

Doreen didn’t have to pretend for long. Soon enough, those flowers and blades of grass became the fresh herbs and veggies from her grandparent’s garden; and her strong Hispanic heritage molded her cooking philosophy and the way she thought about food.

“For my family, cooking together represented the joy of family life and a passion for food, fun and excitement. I learned how to bring enthusiasm and comfort to the process of cooking, giving traditional Latino cuisine a renewed vitality with bright, easy and tasty recipes.”

We were getting hungry just listening to Doreen divulge us with stories of food and family, so we asked her to share two holiday recipes with us. Christmas may have come and gone, but Dia de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day) is almost here. On Jan. 6, whip up the below recipes to keep the festivities going in the New Year.



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Coconut Panna Cotta “Tembleque” Style

“To create this recipe, I got inspiration from the traditional Puerto Rican dessert known as ‘Tembleque.’ The Panna Cotta on the other hand, is the traditional Italian dessert, which is known for its creaminess. To change the texture a bit, I combined the two for a winning combination of sweetness!”

What You’ll Need
10 oz. Goya coconut milk
10 oz. heavy cream
4 oz. sugar
1 packet of gelatin (no flavor)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered cinnamon or fresh mint to garnish

What You’ll Do:

1. In a small bowl, mix in the gelatin with a couple drops of water to dissolve.

2. In a pot, pour in the evaporated and condensed milk with the sugar until it is fully incorporated and the milk is about to boil. Remove from the heat and add in the gelatin, until it is fully dissolved and lump-free.

3. Serve into individual containers or a larger dessert container. Chill in fridge for 3-4 hours until it has a jello-like texture.

Tip – When pouring in the gelatin to ingredients in the pot, you can add one ounce of brandy for a festive taste. When using a larger container to chill in the fridge, you can also use cookie cutters to make holiday shapes and pour on raspberry sauce for a touch of Christmas red.

4. Enjoy…. An easy dessert that will have your guests asking for more!



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Coquito

“The famous ‘Coquito’ is a typical Puerto Rican drink prepared during the holidays. To drink ‘Coquito,’ make sure it is chilled and served in small glasses without ice. You can keep the drink in a glass bottle in the fridge for several weeks so you can share it with loved ones during the holidays.”

What You’ll Need
5 cans evaporated milk
3 cans sweetened condensed milk
3 cans Goya coconut cream
1 can Goya coconut milk
1 bottle of white rum
6 eggs
Powdered cinnamon to taste
Cinnamon sticks (to garnish)
Shredded coconut (to garnish)

What You’ll Do:

1. Mix the six eggs in a bowl and begin adding the evaporated and condensed milk, stirring the ingredients until they look uniform in color and texture. Tip: I prefer to use a manual whisk, rather than an electric mixer.

2. Add in the bottle of white rum. Add powdered cinnamon to taste at the end. Pour in the mixed ingredients into a glass bottle and chill in the fridge.

3. When serving, add a stick of cinnamon and a shredded coconut to garnish, and serve. It adds a great burst of flavor.

4. Cheers to a delicious holiday drink!


Disclosure: I did not receive any products nor was paid for this post. I was provided info and access to images and recipe from the PR firm to share. Thanks to A Bullseye View. Any expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.