Piña coladas always conjure up images of tropical beaches and palm trees at sunset, but too often restaurants or bars will present you with a flavourless watery cocktail. Luckily I’ve learnt the secret to making the perfect piña colada and I’m excited to share my tricks with you.
You need two things to make a sensational piña colada – fresh pineapple and coconut cream. It takes a tiny bit of effort, but believe me, the result is worth it! However if you are in a rush you can just use store bought coconut cream.
Coconut Cream:
To make the coconut cream you will need:
- 125g desiccated coconut
- 100g sugar
- 500ml warm water
To make the coconut cream all you need to do is:
- Add coconut and water together in blender and blend until smooth.
- Place a clean kitchen towel in a large strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture into strainer.
- Twist towel closed and squeeze out the liquid into the bowl. Throw away the coconut solids.
- Let the liquid stand until it separates into water and coconut cream, which usually takes about 20 minutes.
- Once separated, spoon the cream into another bowl and discard the leftover liquid.
- Add the sugar into the coconut cream and mix until smooth.
- Store it in the fridge until you are ready to make your piña coladas.
Now to make the piña colada:
Pina Colada:
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 90 ml white rum
- 1 x fresh pineapple skinned and chopped ( (When choosing your fresh pineapple try to select one that is almost over ripe and juicy.)
- 30 ml coconut cream
- Ice
Instructions:
- Add rum, coconut cream and pineapple crushed chunks into blender.
- Blend on high with a cup or so of crushed ice or 5 or 6 ice cubes until you get a smooth mixture.
- If you find that the cocktail is too thick add a dash of iced water and blend again.
- Serve in your favourite cocktail glass, garnish with a slice of pineapple and enjoy.
