A basic recipe for Rompope includes milk, egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and some sort of alcohol. The different flavorings are nutmeg, vanilla, almonds, pecans, orange blossom water, clove, pine nuts and even pistachios. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe.
Mix milk, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, nutmeg, and a pinch of baking soda in a saucepan and stir. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat to low and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, allowing the milk to absorb the cinnamon and cloves flavors.
Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove to cool.
While the milk is cooling, whisk the egg yolks until they are a pale yellow. You can use your mixer if you want for this step.
Slowly pour the egg yolk mix into the already-cooled milk and stir. Once it is completely incorporated, place the saucepan back on the stove and turn the heat on to medium-high, stirring frequently. Cook the mixture, frequently stirring to avoid curdling, for about 5-7 minutes or until the mixture become thick.
Remove from heat and pass through a sieve to discard cinnamon sticks and cloves. Add rum or brandy, and mix well. Pour into another container with a lid and let it cool for a couple of hours and refrigerate. The Rompope will taste best if you let the flavors combine by storing it in the fridge for 2 weeks. But you can use it right away.
Serve sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Notes
* You can adjust the amount of nutmeg to your personal taste. Usually, a pinch of ground nutmeg will be enough for most.** The same concept applies to the amount of alcohol: you can reduce or increase the amount to fit your liking.