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Special Christmas Recipe:
Ayaca (also known in Spanish as "Hallaca")
& Ponche crema (Eggnog)  

(Makes about 6 ayacas)

Families come together to prepare the ayaca to wake up their Christmas Spirit listening to Christmas music creating a wonderful atmosphere. Ayaca has become a Christmas tradition since a couple of decades. We adopted it mostly from Venezuelan immigrants and changed it a bit to add an Arubian flavor. This meal is usually made on the last week of November in great quantity storing the ayacas in the freezer ready to be served during the holidays.

To prepare 'Ayaca Leaves' (plantain or banana leaves):
Cut the leaf in approximately 40 to 20cm and boil them for 15 minutes with

• salt
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar

Drain, discarding water, smear a little fat on the leaves and place them in the fridge for later use.

For the filling:

• 2 lbs. Chicken (preferably whole legs) wash in lime juice
• 1 lb. porkchop

Put the chicken and the pork in a large pan with: 

• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• garlic powder, curry, chicken broth, oregano, soy sauce, salt and
  pepper to taste.

Close the pan and continue cooking for a few minutes. Then just before it
starts boiling remove the chicken and pork. De-bone the chicken in to small pieces and chop the pork also in small pieces. Add a bit of the marinade to the chicken to keep it from drying and set aside.

To make the dough put in a pan:

• 1 1/2 cup of fresh milk
• 1 1/2 cup water

and just before it starts to boil add :

• 1 Tsp. salt
• 1 Tsp. cumin
• 2 Tsp. sugar
• 4 Tbs. of the marinade

Mix it well and remove from the stove. Slowly while stirring add:

• 3 cup flour (corn-meal white)

Spread some dough on the leaves and not too thick. Put on the dough :

• 1 Tbs. chicken with a little sauce
• 1 piece a pork
• 1 prune (dried)
• some raisins
• 1 olive
• 1 slice pickle
• 1 cashew (nut)
• 1 dice of ham
• a little bit piccalilli
• 1 baby onion

Fold the ayaca leaf close then put another leaf on the folded side, and fold again. Then tie the ayaca with a string. Then boil them in water with salt for 1 hour. It's ready to eat ! You can store it also in the freezer for later.

Ponche crema (Eggnog)  

Makes about 1 Quart    

This deliciously rich and generously laced with rum, ponche crema is a favorite with the "Aunties" who never touch spirits. It is served with tiny spoons in the tiniest of glasses, and rarely does a drop remain. One wonderful cook used to make ponche crema to sell in the neighborhood markets. She had two recipes, one commercial and one for home consumption. The secret of the ponche crema served at home is revealed here.

Grate:

• 1 Tsp. fresh nutmeg

Into:

• 2 Tbs. white Bacardi rum

Set aside.
Take:

• 3 eggs and 3 egg yolks

Carefully remove the coagulated spots which cling to the yolks of fertilized eggs. Beat eggs and yolks with a wire whisk until light and frothy.
Add:

• 1 tin condensed milk (397 grams or about 1 1/2 cups)

Using the milk tin as a measure blend in well: 

• A quantity of rum equal to that of the condensed milk

Add: 

• 1 small tin evaporated milk(170 grams or about 2/3 cup)

Beat again.
Decant the rum which has been soaking with the nutmeg into the egg and milk mixture. Be sure that the nutmeg grains do not find their way into the ponche crema
Add: 

• 1 generous tsp. vanilla

Pour the mixture into the top of a double boiler. Cook over gently boiling water, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens, about fifteen minutes. Set aside to cool.

When the ponche crema is thoroughly chilled, funnel it into a sterilized, untinted decorative whisky or wine bottle. Cap well and refrigerate indefinitely. Ponche crema has a creamy consistency and resembles eggnog in flavor.

(Hand drawn illustrations by Lisa Tromp)

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[ This page was last updated on Friday, January 04, 2008 ]

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