There is nothing like Christmas in the Philippines! Without a doubt, we celebrate the holidays in the biggest possible way, putting in our heart and soul to ensure that this Christmas is better than last years. It is a time when families gather and celebrate with an endless supply of food, alcohol, and a song or two over a karaoke session.
Sure, there’s some stress in dealing with your tita or your cousin, but that shouldn’t stop you from making your Christmas just a little spicier with a few quick and easy recipes from your friends at Jose Cuervo!
5. Hot Chocolate with Tequila
Nothing says Christmas more than a cup hot chocolate. No matter how hot or chilly may the weather be, hot chocolate will always be a Christmas staple on any Christmas dinner, which is why this year is the perfect time to spike your hot cocoa with Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila.
Serves: 5 people
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups of Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila
- 7 ½ cups of milk
- 2 ½ bars of chocolate, broken into chunks
- 15 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons of cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 ¼ cups of heavy whipping cream
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
Materials needed:
- Sauce pan
- 5 large mugs
- Something to mix the drink (spoon, whisk)
Instructions:
- Pour the milk in a sauce pan on medium heat. Make sure to watch it carefully as it needs to be just warm.
- Add the chocolate bars, the cocoa powder, and the sugar.
- Heat everything until the chocolate dissolves, stirring continuously.
- Add the cayenne pepper gradually.
- Turn off the stove. Add the tequila and mix it with the hot chocolate.
- Pour everything into large mugs, top it off with whipping cream and sprinkle in whipped cream and the cinnamon.
4. Christmas Cookies
Christmas cookies are the gift that keeps on giving—well, cookies any time of the year, really, but especially during Christmas. Take this Cinco de Mayo favorite and make it during this Veinticinco de Diciembre for your family and friends. Just make sure to keep the kids away from the cookie jar!
Serves: 5 people
Ingredients:
- 4 teaspoons of Jose Cuervo® Reposado Tequila or Jose Cuervo® Silver Tequila
- Grated zest of 2 limes
- Grated zest of half an oranges
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar for coating
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 large egg yolks
- Pinch of salt
Materials needed:
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Knife
- Plastic wrap
- Baking sheets
- Baking trays
- Oven
- Cooling tray
Instructions:
- Place the unsalted butter in the bowl and beat at medium speed until smooth.
- Add confectioners’ sugar and beat again until smooth.
- Add in 1 egg yolk, gradually followed by the salt, tequila, grated lime zest, and orange zest.
- Lower the speed to low, slowly adding the flour, beating it until it mixes well.
- Drop the dough on the counter, knead the dough into a sphere, and divide it in half using a knife.
- Wrap each piece of the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a smooth surface.
- Form the dough into a log.
- Wrap the log in plastic and chill for two hours.
- Preheat the oven (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- While the oven is preheating, work on the sugar coating:
- Whisk the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl until smooth enough to use as a glaze.
- Spread the sugar on the baking sheets.
- Take the logs out of the refrigerator and brush them lightly with a little egg yolk.
- Roll the logs in sugar, pressing the sugar gently to get them to stick.
- Slice each log into cookies about ¼ inches thick and place them on the tray about ½ inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until they are set but not browned.
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
3. Pineapple-Tequila Cake
It’s not a Christmas Noche Buena without your tita’s (in)famous pineapple upside down cake! Why not take the reins this year and bake this classic Filipino Christmas staple for the rest of your family!
Serves: 8 to 10 people
Ingredients:
Pineapple Topping:
- 1 tablespoon Jose Cuervo Reposado Tequila
- ½ small pineapple, quartered and sliced
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup of packed light brown sugar
Cake:
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) of unsalted butter
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons Jose Cuervo® Reposado Tequila
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Materials needed:
- Cake pan
- Oven
- Mixing bowl
- Electrical Mixer
Instructions:
Pineapple Topping:
- Place a nonstick metal cake pan on the stovetop over low heat.
- Add butter to the pan and let it melt, spreading it all over the pan.
- Add the brown sugar, the tequila, and cook, stirring everything constantly until the mixture is smooth and thick.
- Remove the pan and arrange the pineapple slices over the mixture.
- Set aside.
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC.
- Using a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electrical mixer for two minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and tequila gradually.
- Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating after each succession.
- Pour the batter over the pineapple.
- Bake for 45 minutes or when it is golden.
- Set the cake to cool for 15 minutes then, on a plate, invert the cake.
2. Tequila Lime Chicken
Is your only cooking experience only up to boiling water in the percolator? Tell mom to take a break for your annual Christmas reunion and wow your relatives with this simple but delicious chicken recipe!
Serves: 10 people
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cups of Jose Cuervo® Silver Tequila
- 10 boneless, skin-on chicken breast halves
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 5 tablespoons honey
- A splash of chicken broth or water
Materials needed:
- Skillet or any ordinary frying pan
- Stove
- Spoon
Instructions:
- In a large skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Cook meat until golden brown on both sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Turn off the heat and deglaze the pan with tequila, making sure to stir the bottom to loosen any caramelized bits.
- Add lime juice and honey, stirring to mix.
- Cook briefly over medium heat. Return chicken to skillet, spooning the sauce on top of the chicken.
- Cover tightly and cook over low heat until chicken is tender (estimated: 30 minutes).
- Add a little water or chicken broth to the pan to prevent burning.
- Serve with rice.
1. Spaghetti with Basil Tequila Tomato Sauce
Instead of the ordinary spaghetti we Filipinos normally load with tons of sugar, try your hand at something a little healthier for the holidays. Pasta has always been a constant in every Filipino dinner table no matter what region we come from.
Serves: 10 people
Ingredients:
- ¾ cups of Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila
- 3 cans of tomatoes
- 6 leaves of torn basil
- 3 ½ cloves of garlic, grated
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of Tabasco sauce (optional)
- 1 1/3 teaspoon of dry chili flakes
- 1 lb. of spaghetti
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Materials needed:
- Large pot
- Can opener
- Wooden spoon
Instructions:
- Boil pasta as directed, making sure to salt the water beforehand. Set aside.
- In a large pot on medium heat, add olive oil and grated garlic.
- Sauté garlic for 1 minute.
- Add in can of tomatoes. Break tomatoes using a wooden spoon.
- Once it starts to bubble, add in tequila, chili flakes, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Turn the heat to low and let it simmer at a low boil for an hour.
- Stir in basil and taste for seasoning (in case you need to add more salt and pepper).
- Add in pasta to sauce, mixing the two. Add cheese if needed.
While these recipes are different from your traditional Noche Buena, there’s nothing wrong with trying some new every now again. Food and Gifts are staples of the Christmas season, but what really brings this all together is the bond shared over a round of drinks, a good laugh and the company of your nearest and dearest.
This Christmas, celebrate in the best way you can: a late night, your best friends and closest family members, and a bottle of Jose Cuervo! In the wise words of Roy Smith, “It’s the Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air!”
Merry Christmas from Jose Cuervo!
