South American

A Creamsicle in Drink Form (Courtesy of the Dominican Republic)

February 12, 2016

Food phases: those periods in your life where you crave and eat the same thing, over and over (sometimes to the point of never wanting it again…). I have had way too many to count: everything from Peking duck, to those little chocolate donuts you get at the corner bodega, to Hawaiian hurricane popcorn; unfortunately, green juice hasn’t made that list to date.

In college, I had this extended phase with Dominican food. For dinner, I would trek out to an area of town where there was a big Latin American community and amazing Dominican spots. For $5, you could get a heaping plate of stewed chicken, saffron rice, and fried plantanos with garlic. I’d always order batidas, or fruit milkshakes, to go with the meal. In the D.R., batidas are the way to cool down from the hot sun and they range from lechosa (papaya) to guanabana (soursop) to mamey (sapote).

The best of the bunch was morir soñando, a creamy, orange Creamsicle-like drink whose name loosely translates to “to die dreaming.” Ridiculously romantic! Orange juice is shaken with regular, evaporated, or condensed milk, (lots of) sugar and ice, and sometimes vanilla and cinnamon. In today’s terms, it’s almost a smoothie, but, really, it sits more on the dessert end of drinks.

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Recently, when a Dominican girlfriend of mine became pregnant, she went through the biggest morir soñando cravings and was having them daily. This drink can be super sweet, so I was determined to make a less cloying version that she would still love as much as the one her mom made growing up. A tall order!

Photo by Aliya LeeKong

When I asked her over to try it, she was skeptical, but to her surprise (and my relief), she loved it. And a pregnant palate either hates or loves, so I was in luck. She was pretty shocked we could get to the same place, au naturale, and I was happy I could “juice-up” her childhood favorite.

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Top Comment:
“Im from the Dominican Republic and my twist is to make it with Passion Fruit or Lime instead of Orange... Amazing.”
— erika
Comment

For this version, I use almond or cashew milk in lieu of dairy and sweet, caramel-y Medjool dates instead of sugar. Dates are for sweetening to taste, so you can adjust as you go. Obviously, freshly squeezed orange juice is key here, and my personal preference is for blood orange juice.

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See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • erika
    erika
  • aliyaleekong
    aliyaleekong
  • Missy Muenchow-Smith
    Missy Muenchow-Smith
  • Beth Cloer Welsh
    Beth Cloer Welsh
  • mizerychik
    mizerychik
Chef, Author - Exotic Table: Flavors, Inspiration & Recipes from Around the World to Your Kitchen, Mom to a chickadee ?

7 Comments

erika March 4, 2016
I love how people create new things from traditional ones! But it would still be great if you also presented the traditional #MorirSoñando recipe. Im from the Dominican Republic and my twist is to make it with Passion Fruit or Lime instead of Orange... Amazing.
 
aliyaleekong February 13, 2016
Thank you! We got the glasses on Fancy.com: https://fancy.com/things/922493897324627180/Royal-Collection-On-the-Rocks-Whiskey-Glass?list_id=47828623
 
Missy M. February 13, 2016
Thanks so much!
 
aliyaleekong February 13, 2016
You absolutely can use real milk, and the proportion would stay the same. :)
 
Missy M. February 13, 2016
Where can one find those glasses? Gorgeous!
 
Beth C. February 12, 2016
Cab you use real milk?
 
mizerychik February 12, 2016
I was wondering the same thing. Real milk proportions would be helpful.