‘Tis the season for connection.
In the weeks before one year rolls over into the next, far-flung friends and family make plans to reunite over steaming platters and fizzy toasts. At Vidanta, we believe in the immense importance of spending time with loved ones in order to come together and reflect on the joy in your life.
So, whether you’re spending your holidays shoveling snow or combing white sand, we invite you to celebrate with our family—the family to which every Vidanta guest belongs. It’s in that festive spirit that we’re bringing you two very special holiday treats from our Food and Beverage Director Ignacio Lechuga. He’s gifted us with a special holiday drink to start any party, and an elegant spin on a Christmas classic.
Rompope (Mexican Eggnog)
Rompope is a time-honored favorite from the City of Puebla, where nuns of the former Santa Clara convent prepared it for their priests, until the drink’s popularity surpassed the convent walls. Traditionally a milk and egg punch with cinnamon and vanilla, Rompope variations may be flavored with nutmeg, orange blossom water, or even pine nuts and pistachios.
INGREDIENTS
• 2/3 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 6 cups milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• rind of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 8 large egg yolks
• ½ to 1 cup aged rum or aguardiente
DIRECTIONS
1. In a food processor, pulse almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar until ground to a fine paste.
2. Over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring milk, cinnamon sticks, lemon rind, vanilla, and baking soda to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, remaining 1 ½ cups sugar, and almond paste until creamy and pale. Discard cinnamon sticks and lemon rind from the milk. Whisking constantly, slowly stream milk into the yolk mixture until fully combined.
4. Return mixture to your pan and cook over low heat, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, about 2 hours.
5. Once cool, stir in rum and serve.
Fruitcake
Gone are the endlessly re-giftable fruit bricks of holidays past. This cake is densely studded with real fruit, aromatic with spice, and uniquely suited for the center of your family table. Trust us: you’ll want this one all to yourself.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4/5 cup whole raw almonds
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/5 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup maraschino cherries
• 1 piece ground cloves
• 2 1/5 cups assorted candied fruit
• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 2 1/5 cups egg whites
• 2 ½ cups unsalted butter
• 2 ¼ tablespoons nutmeg
• ¾ cup whole walnuts
• 2 pinches baking powder
• 10 ounces rum
• ¾ cup raisins
• 1 pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a large rectangular cake pan, sprinkle with flour, and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter with sugar until fluffy, then slowly add the egg whites.
3. Add the vegetable oil along with flour, nuts, fruit, and spices.
4. Pour into your pan and bake until golden, usually around 60 minutes.
5. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Unmold from pan, transfer to a cooling rack, and moisten all over with rum. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
6. Once cooled, sprinkle with the powdered sugar.
