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Paletas de Rompope

Rompope is a beverage brought to Mexico by nuns in Spanish colonial times. You can purchase it at some U.S. liquor stores, and more widely in Mexico, but making it is fun and you’ll surely enjoy the frozen version.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 10 to 12

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 (3-inch) piece Mexican cinnamon stick
Pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons brandy or rum
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl large enough to accommodate the milk mixture. Once the milk mixture begins to boil, slowly pour the warm liquid into the yolks while whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

    Step 3

    Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the cream and stir until well incorporated. Stir in the liquor and vanilla. Let cool over an ice bath, stirring occasionally, then refrigerate for a few hours.

    Step 4

    If using conventional molds, divide the mixture among the molds, snap on the lid, and freeze until solid, about 5 hours. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (1 1/2 to 2 hours), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. If using an instant ice pop maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Reprinted with permission from Paletas, Authentic Recipes For Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice, & Aguas Frescas, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. As the country's most authoritative voice on Mexican sweets, FANY GERSON has been featured in the New York Times, Gourmet, Fine Cooking, Daily Candy, Village Voice, NY Daily News, Time Out magazine, and New York magazine, among other publications. She recently launched the acclaimed La Newyorkina, a Mexican frozen treats and sweets business that began with her love for paletas. A graduate of the culinary Institute of America, Fany has worked in a range of fine-dining kitchens around the world. Visit www.lanewyorkina.com for more information.
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