Ponche Crema: Una bebida venezolana legendaria /Ponche Crema: A legendary Venezuelan drink

Ingredients and equipment:

To prepare approximately 2.5 liters of Venezuelan Cream Ponche, the following ingredients and equipment are required:

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• 2 liters of cow's milk, either freshly milked (but already sterilized), prepared in powder or pasteurized (I do not recommend the latter option).

• 400-500 ml of liquor of your choice, preferably rum or brandy.

• 1 can of condensed milk.

• 200 gr of flan or vanilla pudding.

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla or, as I did, a sarrapia seed also known as tonka.

• Sterilized glass bottles (for bottling).

• A pot, a strainer, a hand mixer, a blender.

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EL PROCEDIMIENTO / THE PROCESS

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• aquí

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For this drink I do not recommend using pasteurized milk, since it is very diluted. They can use powdered milk for which they will have to prepare the 2 liters of milk according to its indications; They can also use freshly milked cow's milk, which is the one I use, but they must sterilize it before (for hygiene reasons), and extract the fat content, since leaving it reduces the palatability of the drink. The way to sterilize and extract the fat from the milking milk can be seen in a publication I made days ago:

I proceed to serve a liter of milk in a pot, I introduce the sarrapia or tonka seed and bring it to high heat. By boiling the milk, I lower the flame, and let the sarrapia seed infuse for 5 minutes. I proceed to extract it with a strainer. It should be noted that this seed is rinsed with clean water, dried and can be stored in the fridge to be reused later, as it preserves its aroma and flavor.

Posteriormente, adiciono poco a poco el flan o pudín a la leche caliente, y comienzo a remover constantemente mientras cocino a fuego medio por 5-6 minutos más. Apago la llama y dejo que esta mezcla adquiera temperatura ambiente.

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Later, I add the flan or pudding little by little to the hot milk, and I start to stir constantly while I cook over medium heat for 5-6 more minutes. I turn off the flame and let this mixture come to room temperature.

Cuando la mezcla de pudín o flan se haya enfriado, procedo a vaciarla en el vaso de la licuadora para mezclarla con un poco más de leche. Posteriormente le añado la leche condensada, el licor y el resto de la leche, y licúo por aproximadamente por 2-3 minutos. Cabe señalar que el tipo y cantidad de licor, dependerá del gusto de cada quien. En mi caso utilicé un ron de calidad, pero también he elaborado esta bebida con cocuy y con caña clara. La proporción de licor es de 200 ml por litro de mezcla, no obstante puede incrementarse o disminuirse.

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When the pudding or custard mixture has cooled, I proceed to empty it into the blender glass to mix it with a little more milk. Later I add the condensed milk, the liquor and the rest of the milk, and blend for approximately 2-3 minutes. It should be noted that the type and amount of liquor will depend on the taste of each person. In my case, I used a quality rum, but I have also made this drink with cocuy and light cane. The proportion of liquor is 200 ml per liter of mixture, however it can be increased or decreased.

Procedo a embotellar la mezcla y a enfriarla. Esta bebida se puede conservar en la nevera por meses, bueno, como me gusta tanto lo máximo que la he conservado es por 2 meses, pero considero que si las botellas han sido bien esterilizadas, puede durar un año refrigerada. Se sirve bien fría sola o con cubitos de hielo. ¡Que la disfruten!

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I proceed to bottle the mixture and cool it. This drink can be kept in the fridge for months, well, as I like it so much, the maximum I have kept it is for 2 months, but I consider that if the bottles have been well sterilized, it can last a year refrigerated. It is served chilled on its own or with ice cubes. Enjoy it!

• Estas fotos son de mi autoría y fueron tomada con un teléfono Xiomi REDMI 8 A / These photos are my own and were taken with a Xiomi REDMI 8 A phone .