Author Notes
This recipe was inspired by the Pina Coladas we had while on vacation in the South Pacific several years ago. What made them special is that they were made with coconut ice cream rather than canned cream of coconut. I decided to recreate that flavor in a frozen sorbet topped with flambéed caramelized pineapple and a coconut meringue. - Couldn't Be Parve —Couldn't Be Parve
Test Kitchen Notes
I'd been longing for a pina colada on a tropical island and was thrilled to find this recipe. The sorbet is creamy with just the right amount of sugar to make it a stand-out on its own, but welcomes the complimentary addition of the rich, gooey caramelized pineapple without being cloying. The meringues are an addictive bonus of light crispy, crunchy and coconutty confection (I ate them one after another). After cutting the pineapple into quarters, I cut the quarters into 1/4 inch pieces, and then divided all the ingredients in half so that I could easily caramelize the pineapple in two batches. Be sure to have your matches ready before you add the rum; otherwise, the alcohol may cook out before you have a chance to light it. I (happily) had to add additional rum to get it to ignite. It was a success that transported me to a tropical island....even in rainy Seattle. - SwoonMySpoon —SwoonMySpoon
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Ingredients
- Pina colada sorbet
-
2 cups
chopped fresh pineapple (approximately 11 oz)
-
1
14 oz can Thai style coconut milk
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6 tablespoons
sugar
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2 tablespoons
dark rum
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1 pinch
salt
- Caramelized Pineapple and Coconut Meringues
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For Caramelized Pineapple
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2/3
of a fresh pineapple, trimmed, cored and cut into quarters
-
1/4 cup
dark brown sugar
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1/4 cup
butter or margarine
-
1/4 cup
dark rum
-
2 teaspoons
fresh lime juice
-
For meringues
-
1/2 cup
unsweetened shredded coconut
-
2
egg whites
-
1/2 cup
sugar
Directions
- Pina colada sorbet
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Combine all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and chill thoroughly.
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Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
- Caramelized Pineapple and Coconut Meringues
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For Pineapple
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Place 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter and sugar have melted.
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Add 1/2 of the pineapple in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, for 3-4 minutes, or until browned on the bottom. Carefully flip the pineapple and cook for another 1-2 minutes until browned on the other side.
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Pour the rum over the pineapple in the pan. Carefully light the rum on fire. When the flames have gone out, stir in 1 teaspoon of the lime juice.
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Repeat with the remaining sugar, butter, pineapple and lime juice.
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For Meringues
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Toast the coconut in a 350 oven until golden brown, approximately 8 minutes. Remove the coconut from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 225.
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Place the egg whites and sugar in the metal bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the egg whites are warm to the touch.
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Transfer bowl to the mixer and whip, using the whisk attachment, until stiff and glossy.
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Transfer meringue to a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch plain tip. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (use a dab of meringue to stick the paper in the corners.) Pipe zig zags of meringue on the parchment. Sprinkle the coconut over the meringues.
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Bake for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for another hour before removing the meringues from the parchment. Store in an airtight container.
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Serve the sorbet topped with the warm pineapple and a coconut meringue.
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