Cocktails

Name: Rompope (Mexican Eggnog)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup whole milk; 2-3 Mexican cinnamon sticks (Ceylon cinnamon); 3 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey is my preferred brand); 7 extra large or jumbo egg yolks; 1/2 pound of granulated cane sugar (I use Zulka brand); 1 cup aguardiente (cane sugar liquor); 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; Optional: ground Ceylon cinnamon to sprinkle on top to garnish

Mandarin orange margaritas

11 · Apr 7, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Mandarin orange margaritas are a refreshing cocktail using in-season citrus. These margaritas get a fun agridulce kick from a Miguelito-rimmed glass.

Mandarin oranges, or mandarinas, are extremely common in Mexico, so they’re used in all kinds of recipes, from aguas frescas, to gelatinas, salads, and more—including mandarin orange margaritas.

The juicer used in my video is a Chefn Citrus Juicer.

In this case, rimming the margarita glass with a mixture of kosher salt and Miguelito (a powdered form of chamoy) lends a particularly Mexican sweet-and-sour flavor. It’s salty, sugary, acidic, and very slightly spicy, and it’s often used on fresh fruit, veggies, and other snacks. You can buy Miguelito in most Mexican or Latin American markets in the same aisle as bottled salsas, as well as online. Miguelito is even available on Amazon Prime!

RELATED RECIPE: Easy watermelon margaritas

A note about mandarin oranges: The harvest in the beginning of the season is usually less sweet or even a little bit sour, while mandarins harvested mid- to late-season will be sweeter. For that reason, you may want to add a little bit of sugar to your juice if drinking at the beginning of the season and the fresh-squeezed juice tastes a bit too tart for your liking.

I like to use a liquid cane sugar such as Hey Shuga! Organic Pure Cane Liquid Sweetener because a little bit goes a long way and it’s easier than dissolving granulated sugar. You can typically find this in any grocery store near where you’d find maple syrup or other liquid sweeteners for baking.

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There are a few different varieties of mandarin oranges, and that’s why they may look and taste slightly different. Their peak seasons are also slightly staggered, but you can use any variety listed below.

Types of mandarin oranges you’ll find easily in the U.S.

Clementines are sweet, less acidic, and almost always seedless. They’re in season from November-January.

Murcott Mandarins are sometimes also known as honey tangerines, and are very sweet with no seeds. They’re in season from January-April.

Golden Nugget Mandarins are smaller than other varieties, but very juicy and sweet. They’re seedless, and in season from March-June.

Tangerines are a cousin of the clementine, but are less sweet and have a lot of seeds. They’re in season from October-January.

You might be used to seeing these types of oranges called Cuties in the grocery store, thanks to some catchy marketing. Cuties actually sells two varieties of mandarin; clementines and Murcotts. Whatever you choose, I know you’ll love these mandarin orange margaritas!

A word on choosing your tequila

I’ve used Don Julio Reposado in this recipe because it has lemon citrus notes with hints of vanilla and a silky, warm finish. It’s perhaps a more expensive tequila than you may be used to buying if you’re not a tequila connoisseur, but worth the price (750 mL should cost around $40-50).

Remember: buying cheap tequila always results in two things—a hangover and not liking tequila. It’s a liquor that’s meant to be sipped, not slammed. I’ve chosen a reposado because it’s aged in oak barrels from 2 months to 1 year (Don Julio Reposado is aged 8 months), which rounds and softens the tequila, making it perfect for margaritas and mixed drinks.

Mandarin orange margaritas

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 15
Total Time: 15
Yield: 2 margaritas
Category: drinks
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

6-7 mandarin oranges, juiced (should yield about 3/4 to 1 cup of juice)
1 small lime, juiced
2.5 ounces Don Julio Tequila Reposado
0.5 ounces Cointreau

To rim the glasses:

1 lime wedge (to wet the glass rims)
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Miguelito (chamoy en polvo)

Instructions

Halve and juice 6-7 mandarin oranges, until they yield about 3/4 to 1 cup of juice.
Halve and juice one lime.
Add 2.5 ounces of tequila reposado and 0.5 ounces of Cointreau and stir well. Set aside.
To rim the glasses, mix 2 tablespoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon Miguelito in a shallow dish.
Cut the lime wedge and run along the rims of the glasses to wet them. Turn the glasses upside down one at a time and dip in the salt-Miguelito mixture until the rims are completely salted.
Add ice to the glasses, pour margaritas over ice and serve immediately.

Notes

My preferred tequila for this recipe is Don Julio Reposado, but any reposado will do.

Cointreau is used here over Grand Marnier because it is less sweet, but any triple sec can be substituted to your preference.

If you’d like to make these ahead of time (24 hours in advance) or for a large group, you can easily double, triple or quadruple the recipe and refrigerate in a covered pitcher without the ice until ready to serve. Serve over ice.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 7 ounces

Keywords: margaritas, mandarin orange margaritas, margarita de mandarina

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Easy Watermelon Margaritas

1 · Aug 19, 2018 · Leave a Comment

A watermelon margarita is a tasty summer cocktail that’s easy to make and also a great way to use up extra fruit.

I can’t think of a better way to close out the final weeks of summer on the patio than a fresh watermelon margarita. Can you? These are also perfect for sipping by the pool on a hot day.

These margaritas are super easy to make, and you can even use fresh, store-bought watermelon juice if you don’t have a juicer at home. (Although there are so many inexpensive juicers on the market nowadays, you can find lots of decent options on Amazon with Prime shipping!) …

How to make rompope

9 · Dec 31, 2016 · 1 Comment

Rompope is a Mexican version of eggnog. This popular drink is a staple in many Mexican households and festivities from December all the way until Día de Reyes.

Several years ago, I was able to copy down abuelita’s recipe for rompope (which was for a very large crowd, based on the portions) from a typewriter-written version in a family recipe book at my mother-in-law’s house. Thinking it was going to be difficult, I didn’t make it until a few years later. It was then that I discovered the recipe wasn’t quite complete, the directions were sparse and it didn’t taste right on the first try. So I got to work in my kitchen, testing and tasting until it seemed right to us.

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I’ve amended abuelita’s recipe slightly to my personal taste but so it still maintains its authenticity, and reduced the quantity of the original recipe to make a smaller batch in case we didn’t go through it quickly enough. I recommend if you’ll be drinking your rompope solo, half-cup servings are best, and this recipe makes eight half-cup servings. If you’ll be serving a small crowd, make double the recipe and just refrigerate any leftover rompope.

One year, José’s Tía Annette hosted a fabulously catered posada, which is where I learned to put rompope in my coffee or make lattes with it. I’ve done it every December since!

RELATED RECIPE: Spicy Mexican hot chocolate

A few notes:

If you don’t have time to make everything all at once, you can make the cinnamon-infused milk and refrigerate it overnight, and finish the rest of the recipe the next day with no problem.
The directions below have descriptions of how the egg yolks should look at ribbon stage, but if you need extra guidance, this video is pretty helpful. It’s easiest to do with a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid than it is with a whisk by hand. Don’t suffer! Just use the stand mixer.
You can find aguardiente in most Latin supermarkets across the U.S. If you don’t see it on a shelf in the store, they sometimes keep it locked in a cabinet with the pricier liquors, so just ask. It’s anise-flavored liqueur that is produced from sugar cane, and much of what is available in the U.S. comes from Colombia.
I advise against using imitation Mexican vanilla extract because it really doesn’t have the same taste. I only buy Nielsen-Massey Mexican pure vanilla extract, which is available online from King Arthur Flour, Amazon, and sold in many high-end culinary stores such as Williams-Sonoma or WholeFoods. (For the record, Williams-Sonoma has the best price on a 4-ounce bottle.) If you live in Los Angeles, I have also purchased this extract at Surfas Culinary District in Culver City and Gelson’s.