Puerto Rican Holiday Recipe Roundup
As we embark on yet another holiday season of uncertainty and change, here at Plenitud PR we are feeling especially grateful for those ways that we can continue to connect with you despite the challenges of this time. And while we’d much rather be able to gather with each and every one of you in person, we thought we’d share some recipes for traditional Puerto Rican foods that you can share with your own families and friends, just as we’ll be doing here at the farm. Here are some classic favorite foods that you will find in homes all over Puerto Rico at Christmas time:
Coquito: this coconut cream-based beverage–served cold, with or without the addition of rum–is similar to the European tradition of eggnog. Rich, creamy, and laced with holiday spices, coquito is a favorite to serve alongside any dish! Our recipe comes from Aura Garrido, mother of our co-founder and co-Director Paula.
Polvorones: these delicious cookies are in the shortbread family, and are a popular hispanic dessert with many regional variations. In Puerto Rico, they are sometimes dotted with guava jelly (polvorones de guayaba) or are decorated with little sprinkles for a festive touch.
Pasteles: these traditional parcels are made with green banana and/or cassava dough, filled with a savory vegetarian mixture, then wrapped in banana leaves and boiled until cooked through. This versatile recipe is easily adapted to most diets, and will bring an authentic boricua flavor to any table!
We’ll be thinking of you as we all delight in coquito, polvorones, and pasteles this year, and celebrate our gratitude for the big holiday table that we share with our entire Plenitud PR community, both near and far.
¡Felices fiestas a todos! Happy holidays to you :)
P.S. If you make any of these recipes, please be sure to take a picture, post it on social media, and tag us @PlenitudPR so we can see your delicious creations!
Aura’s Coquito
Makes around 14 servings.
Ingredients:
24 ounces (3 cups) evaporated milk (store bought or homemade)
14.5 ounces (1 ¾ cup) cream of coconut (store bought or homemade)
14.5 ounces (1 ¾ cup) coconut milk (store bought or homemade)
3-5 ounces (¼ cup - ⅔ cup) sweetened condensed milk, depending on your sweetness preference (store bought or homemade)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: 6-8 ounces (¾ - 1 cup) of white or dark rum
Method:
Add all ingredients to a blender and process until well combined.
Serve chilled, with love, to your guests and family.
Puerto Rican Polvorones
Recipe inspired from The Sofrito Project
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 2.5 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract (almond is traditional)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Optional: Guava jelly, sprinkles, or powdered sugar for decoration
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes). Next, gradually add the sugar, salt, and almond or vanilla extract until they’re all combined.
Then, with the mixer off, add the flour and blend it into the butter mixture on low until it’s just combined, making sure not to overmix. The texture of the cookie batter should look and feel like wet sand.
Then, when you’re ready to form the cookies, using a tablespoon or small scoop, portion out each cookie and roll them into small balls, placing them on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. If you are planning to use guava jelly, use your thumb and make a small indentation in the cookie while pressing down to flatten them a bit right before putting them in the oven.
Bake the cookies for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. If using guava jelly, remove the cookies from the oven and place a small spoonful of jelly in the indentation of the cookie and bake for another 5 minutes. The cookies should be very lightly golden on the bottom and pale on top.
Let them cool on a wire rack or large platter and serve immediately. Any leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Note: Polvorones are an especially versatile recipe; there are many ways to customize them to your liking! Some possible variations include:
flavoring them with ½ tsp citrus zest, 1 tsp cinnamon, or a “chai-spice” mix of 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ ground cloves, and ⅛ tsp of cardamom. Simply add them to your dry mixture before combining with the butter.
rolling the cookie dough balls in a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. Combine 1 tsp of cinnamon with 6 tbsp of granulated sugar in a small bowl; roll dough balls in mixture before placing on baking tray. Press down slightly with the back of a spoon.
finish the cookies with a dusting of powdered sugar and/or cinnamon. Wait until the cookies are cool or powdered sugar will melt!
Puerto Rican Pasteles
Our vegetarian pasteles recipe has been one of our most popular and requested recipes over the last two years. Pasteles are a timeless traditional dish, and our vegetarian (with vegan option!) recipe will make the perfect Puerto Rican holiday feast!
¡Buen Provecho!
