Wintry Piña Colada

Of course a piña colada is a perfect winter drink! Thick and creamy you can take your time sipping it, unlike the fast and loose summer fruit drinks. 


Of course, you might not want to take my word for it, as I also think it makes a great breakfast drink...
 
To the Victorians, importing citrus was expensive and a delicacy only for special occasions, like Christmas. The bright and cheery colors of the fruits were often used to decorate the tables and mantles as well. Citrus trees are also evergreens and a perfect choice for greenery decor. They can be a reminder of the summer days to come, but I prefer to enjoy the moment.

My perfect piña colada recipe is actually a dairyless version adapted from the Queen of Booze herself, Martha Stewart.

20 oz can of pineapple (100% juice)
1 canned coconut milk (from the Asian food section, full fat)
1/2 cup carton coconut milk (I use sweetened So Delicious)
1 cup orange juice
10 ounces rum (I use pineapple or coconut flavored)

Put all ingredient in a blender and mix until the pineapple is thoroughly blended. Refrigerate mixture until cold. Ingredients will separate out, so give it a good stir or shake before serving.

If you are not familiar with coconut milk, I'll break down the differences for you. Canned coconut milk are the insides of a coconut blended into a liquid. No sweetener should be added. You can find these babies in the Asian food section of your grocery store. Don't get the cans marked "light"; they are just coconut milk with water added to them. If you want a thinner piña colada you can add your own water. Since they don't have any chemicals added, the fat will separate and rise to the top. Don't panic if it looks weird. It's normal.

Meanwhile, the coconut milk in cartons are a processed, non-dairy milk substitute. You can find them hanging out with the rice and soy milks. They are often sweetened and thinned. For this recipe I use the So Delicious brand sweetened, vanilla. It's the only sweetener in this recipe and adds just a hint.

When it comes to rum, I know I prefer the flavored rums but I can't decided whether I like the coconut or the pineapple flavored best in this drink. I tend to alternate, depending upon my mood. Pick which seems best to you.

This recipe has no chemicals in it to keep it from separating so we'll have to do it the old fashioned way: stir or shake before using.

Sip while enjoying your dominance over the winter chill!