pineapple

Blue Hawaii Popsicles

June 12, 2019 by elana 2 Comments

This post was made in partnership with TruviaÂ®. Recipes and ideas are my own.

If you’re a regular reader around here then you know I am a big fan of all things tiki. And if you’re new, well,Â I’m a big fan of all things tiki! So, for our latest round of Boozy Popsicles for summer, I decided to revisit the very first tiki drink that I made years ago for our very first tiki party: The Blue Hawaii cocktail. This is a memorable drink for its bright blue hue thanks to Blue Curacao, and this kind of technicolor drink is what many people might associate tiki drinks with (along with tiny paper umbrellas).

Truvia Blue Hawaii Popsicles // stirandstrain.com

Truvia Blue Hawaii Popsicles // stirandstrain.com At the time of the party I went out and bought one of those giant drink dispensers. Standing around making tiki drinks to order was not how I wanted to spend my entire evening. I filled it with this drink thinking to myself, this is way too much; no one is going to consume this much of a blue drink. Well, to my surprise they did, and there were a number of people bummed when it was all gone. Why? Because it’s just a great, easy drinking cocktail: rum, blue curaÃ§ao, citrus, pineapple, and coconut cream. And this winning combo easily translates into a flavorful popsicle.

Truvia Blue Hawaii Popsicles // stirandstrain.com To sweeten up these popsicles, we’re using TruviaÂ® Natural Sweetener packets along with fresh citrus instead of the bottled sweet and sour mix that is usually called for in this recipe. That means your popsicles will have fewer calories, and none of that gross synthetic stuff, thanks to zero-calorie Truvia. And they will taste just as sweet! I love using the Truvia packets for these recipes because it means one less thing I have to measure, just count out a few packets and you’re done.

Truvia Blue Hawaii Popsicles // stirandstrain.com Also, if you’re looking to make these non-alcoholic, just sub the white rum with a bit more pineapple juice and coconut cream. Or add in a few more pineapple chunks! These jewel-toned popsicles are so beautiful everyone’s going to be asking for one!

Truvia Blue Hawaii Popsicles // stirandstrain.com Now, the look of these popsicles will change depending on what kind of popsicle mold you have. I have a lay-flat kind like this, however, you might have the kind that is vertical. You can layer these any way you’d like. Or even just mix everything together and freeze. It’s really up to you and won’t change the taste.

Truvia Blue Hawaii Popsicles // stirandstrain.com Ok, let’s make some popsicles! Tiny paper umbrellas optional!

Blue Hawaii Popsicles

makes 5, 3-1/2 ounce popsicles

5 ounces coconut cream
4 Truvia Natural Sweetener packets
10 pineapple chunks
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
4 ounces white rum
3 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
3-1/2 ounces pineapple juice
blue food dye

popsicle sticks

Mix together the coconut cream and Truvia Natural Sweetener packets. Set aside.
If you have the lay-flat molds, insert popsicle sticks. If not, skip this step for now.
Place pineapple chunks in the mold and then pour in coconut cream evenly between molds.
Freeze for about an hour.
While the cream layer is freezing, mix the blue layer by combining lime juice, white rum, lemon juice, pineapple juice and blue dye.
Remove popsicle molds from freezer, pour in blue mixture, add popsicle sticks if using vertical molds, and place back into freezer. Freeze at least 8 hours or overnight.
To serve, remove from freezer and let stand about 5 minutes. Gently remove and serve!

A Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep

April 23, 2019 by elana 2 Comments

This post was made in partnership with TruviaÂ®. Recipes and ideas are my own.

As much as we needed the rain here in Southern California, with this drought that’s been going on for years, I must say I am SO happy to see blue skies and warmer temps. I’m getting all the tropical feels now, everything is green, and racing season is just around the corner.

Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep with Truvia // stirandstrain.com I will take any excuse to wear one of my many oversized hats, and it’s even better when cocktails are involved. The Mint Julep is the traditional drink in Kentucky, and I know that some people have very strong opinions about the drink in its purest form… but I am not one of those people. While a Mint Julep is refreshing on a hot day out in the sun, I wanted to give my race day drink a little tropical twist.

Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep with Truvia // stirandstrain.com Together with TruviaÂ® I’m taking the traditional Mint Julep and sweetening it with a rich, toasted coconut syrup made with Truvia Brown Sugar Blend, which has a deep, rich caramel flavor you expect from brown sugar with 75% fewer calories per serving than brown sugar. The flavor of the Brown Sugar Blend intensifies the caramel-y flavors of the bourbon and the spicy notes of the rum. The toasted coconut gives a wonderfully nutty and fragrant aroma to the syrup that works really well with the mint, transporting you to a lush tropical locale, no matter where you’re sipping it.

Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep with Truvia // stirandstrain.com If you’re hosting a racing party, these drinks are easily batch-able too! I’ve included a note in the recipe if you’d like to serve up multiple of these cocktails.

Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep

10 mint leaves
2 ounces bourbon
1/4 ounce Toasted Coconut Syrup (recipe follows)
1/4 ounce aged rum
mint, toasted coconut flakes, pineapples for garnish

In the bottom of a julep cup (or Collins glass), muddle the mint leaves with the syrup. Pack the glass with crushed ice and pour in bourbon. Drizzle rum on top and garnish with mint leaves, toasted coconut flakes and a pineapple spear. Giant hat or seersucker suit optional.

Toasted Coconut Syrup

1 cup flaked coconut, divided
3/4 cup Truvia Brown Sugar Blend
1/2 cup water

Preheat your oven to 325Â°F. Spread coconut out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, tossing the coconut every few minutes or so, for 5-10 minutes. Coconut should be golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven.
In a medium sized saucepan, combine Truvia Brown Sugar Blend and water. Bring to just a boil, whisking constantly to dissolve sugar, and then turn heat down to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut (the other 1/2 cup will be reserved as a garnish for drinks). Whisk to combine everything and let simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until room temperature. Strain out coconut (I use a nut bag for this) into an airtight container. Use immediately or refrigerate. Will keep up to one month.

To batch this recipe: Add 1/4 cup packed mint leaves in the bottom of a pitcher. Muddle with a 1/2 cup of Toasted Coconut Syrup and then add in 2 cups bourbon. Stir to combine. Chill in refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight. When ready to serve, pack 8 julep cups with crushed ice, fill with mixture and garnish with mint and toasted coconut flakes. Optionally drizzle 1/4 ounce of aged rum over the ice.

National Cocktail Day Greatest Hits

March 23, 2018 by elana 2 Comments

It’s National Cocktail Day tomorrow in case you didn’t know (And it’s totally fine if you didn’t know. I forgot too until I read a recent press release). So I thought I’d round up a few of you readers’ favorite posts from the site because, if you’re here, you like cocktails. Funny thing though, you guys seem to like a lot of the DIY syrups/bitters/tincture posts just as much as the drinks. So I’m including those too because it’s always good to have some fun syrups and mixers around to get your creative cocktail juices flowing. Cheers!

Passion Fruit Syrup // The Hurricane Cocktail

Classic Blackberry Shrub

Pineapple Gomme Syrup

Burnt Sage and Blackberry Sangria

Smoke Tincture and Boulevardier

The Vegan Pisco Sour

And if you’re looking for more inspiration, here are a few of my favorite books on cocktails (in no particular order) and all the fun stuff that goes into them! Enjoy!

There’s so many more I like to read, you can check out the Book Shelf Page for even more (not currently updated but it’s a lot to start with!).

Mother’s Day Cocktail Roundup 2016

April 30, 2016 by elana 1 Comment

Well guys, it’s been two years since I’ve done one of these, so here’s your 2016 cocktail roundup for all your Moms. Drink up!

Sparkling Lemony-Suze Cocktails

Sparkling Pomegranate Caipirinha

Fresh Ginger Amaretto Sour Cocktails

Smoked-Rosemary Rum Punch

BrÃ»lÃ©ed Grapefruit and Mixed Citrus Punch with Vanilla and Piloncillo Reduction

Sparkling Pomegranate and Cocchi Rosa Cocktails

A Pitcher of Pisco with Grapefruit, Lime and Thyme

The Pineapple Hop Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

The Pineapple Hop, a beer & pineapple shrub cocktail

Peach and Tequila Frozen Cocktail frozen peach cocktails part one

September 16, 2015 by elana 1 Comment

It’s September. Target was filled with Halloween decorations about two weeks ago, and I have a fruit basket filled with peaches. They’re not the prettiest peaches mind you, but they’re still sooooo tasty.

I do this every year. I overbuy summer produce like I’ll never see it again and when it starts getting close to Fall, I scramble to use it up. As you all know, it kills me to throw food away. This year it’s a little easier with a little one who gobbles up peaches but I’m still staring at this fruit basket scratching my head.

And then I go, DUH, and drag out the blender.

Where once you only bought a frozen cocktail while on vacation where you both did not care what you were drinking, and you were more than likely not going to remember it anyway, now I insist you make them for yourself and loved ones. I convinced you to make a Frozen Blood and Sand cocktail last month, and let’s not forget that Cucumber and Green Chartreuse number from last year.

This post is part one of emptying that fruit basket of all those peaches.

Peaches, meet tequila.

Serves 4.
6 ounces blanco tequila
2 ripe peaches, pitted and cubed
1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
2 ounces fresh pineapple juice
1-1/2 ounces Suze
8 mint leaves
Mint leaves and extra pineapple chunks, for garnish

Combine tequila, peaches, pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, Suze, and mint leaves in a zipper-lock bag or resealable jar. Chill at least 8 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
To serve, transfer chilled tequila mixture to a blender and add 3 cups ice. Blend at high speed until well mixed and thick, about 45 seconds. Divide between coupe glasses and garnish with a pineapple chunk and mint leaves.

A little on the savory side with earthy notes from the tequila and the herbal, floral, bitter Suze. Your sweet peaches balance out that earthy side, mixed with sweet-tart pineapple and mint for a concoction that’s both refreshing and complex.

**This recipe was originally written for Serious Eats.

The Pineapple Hop it starts with a pineapple shrub

May 1, 2015 by elana 6 Comments

So how was your week?

I dropped my phone in a toilet. What’s worse was the speed with which I dove in to grab it without even thinking about “is the bowl clean or dirty” (it was clean by the way). And it works still so that’s a plus.

I learned how to vacation with an infant (very different ideas of “vacation” now exist for me). And that spending several days in the wonderful desert heat almost always means for me coming back to Los Angeles and experiencing gray, grey days. It also makes me appreciate the contrasts in climate for this part of the country.

Also, May starts today.Â Which means it is practically summer and wasn’t everyone everywhere complaining about snowstorms and the like about 5 minutes ago? Maybe it’s the crippling realization that time really does speed up the older you get butÂ man, do I need a cocktail right about now. So let’s think about summer drinks.

If we’re thinking about summer days to come, I’m sure pineapples fit in there somewhere. In my house, I fit them in all the time despite the time of year, but that’s me. For today’s recipe, I’m giving you guys some homework first (OK, ok, a DIY super fun, easy, hands off it practically makes itself project): pineapple shrub.

I’m not kidding either. Making a shrub is so easy I’m not sure why more people aren’t batching this in their kitchen all time?! Oh, lack of counter space. And, well, better things to do I guess might prevent that from happening. For the sake of this post I’ll just assume you’re on board with me for this one project. Let’s continue.

If we’re thinking about summer, we’re also thinking about refreshing drinks, and for a lot of you guys out there, beer. Beer and BBQ and hotdogs and maybe a few illegal fireworks. So, surprise! I’m putting beer in this cocktail too. Pineapples and beer and RUM.

Are you already picturing yourself running through a sprinkler and drinking this cocktail? Me too. Except let’s hold on to that thought and wait two weeks while this shrub brews and then we can get to the galavanting.Â At least this week is done.

Pineapple Shrub

1 medium pineapple, peeled, and cubed into 1â€ pieces
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

Place the pineapple cubes in a clean, sterilized container. Cover with the sugar and lightly crush the pineapples (I used a potato masher). Let sit, covered with a tea towel, in the open for 8 hours or overnight. Strain fruit and add apple cider vinegar. Cover and let sit unrefrigerated in a cool, dark place for two weeks. Shake the mixture every other day. In two weeks, filter into an airtight container and refrigerate. Will last up to 6 months. Yields approximately 3 cups.

For the cocktail

1 ounce white rum, SelvaRey used here
1 ounce pineapple shrub (see above)
1/4 ounce orgeat
4 ounces IPA beer, Stone IPA used here

In a mixing glass filled 2/3 with ice, pour in rum, shrub and orgeat. Stir to chill 20 seconds and strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Top with beer.

The biting, tangy nature of the shrub is excellent paired with the beer as it provides a contrast to the bitterness that comes with an IPA. Just a touch of sweetness is needed and the sweet almond orgeat provides that along with the white rum. The shrub can be enjoyed all summer long here in this drink, or by itself with a splash of club soda.

*Looking for a larger batched version of this? I originally made that very version for Serious Eats a little while back.

MxMo: Pineapple Gomme Syrup and a Pisco Punch!

June 23, 2014 by elana 9 Comments

ForÂ Mixology Monday, I had thought I was starting out on a simple quest: make a pineapple gomme syrup (this month’s theme is PINEAPPLE, hosted by Thiago from Bartending NotesÂ and gomme syrup, FYI, helps to create a smooth mouthfeel in cocktails and was widely used a long time ago; now it’s peeping it’s head back up again). However, as I started to leaf through the indexes of several of my go-to cocktail books, I came to the realization that no one had a recipe. WTH? So on to consult the internet and of course, some of the serious cocktailians out there had already covered the basic gomme (or gum) syrup. Thanks guys!

The first thing you’re going to need is gum arabica powder. Oh? Where the hell are you going to get that? Well, the internet is pretty helpful (click here for resource). But, if you’re like me and you need to make it RIGHT NOW, then gum arabica powder is also known as acacia powder and can be found at Whole Foods and at Vitamin stores. And here’s something funny: acacia powder is also a fiber supplement for, you know, helping you be regular. So…added benefit?

There were a couple methods out there for making the gomme, but for sake of time, I chose the most rapid method via A Mountain of Crushed Ice.

4 tablespoons gum arabica powder (or acacia powder)
2 ounces hot water

Heat water to just about boiling (I used an electric water kettle) and slowly mix into the powder in a heat-proof bowl. Then stir to combine, pushing clumps of powder into the side of the bowl to break it up. Let the mixture absorb for 20 minutes and then briskly stir again. Repeat process until all the powder is dissolved (this took about an hour for me).

Next, make a pineapple syrup. Unlike my other syrups, this will be a 2:1 ratio, or a rich syrup.

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup pineapple chunks, plus 2 tablespoons juice

In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine sugar and water. Stir until dissolved and add pineapple chunks and juice. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let sit two hours (if you desire a stronger pineapple flavor, let it sit up to 4). Strain pineapple chunks (use them for garnishes or to top some pancakes). Add gomme and stir to combine. Bottle in an airtight container. Total mixture yields about 2-1/2 cups.

Now at this point you can pat yourself on the back and stare at your freshly made bottle of pineapple gomme syrup and then exclaim, NOW WHAT? Put it in a cocktail!

Pineapple gomme syrup seems to be most commonly used in the Pisco Punch. So start there if this is all new to you. If you’ve covered this base already, please feel free to share what you use it in.

Pisco Punch

barely adapted from Paul Clarke

2 ounces pisco, Campo de Encanto used here
1/2 ounce pineapple gomme syrup (recipe above)
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

pineapple chunk and sprig of mint for garnish

In a shaker 2/3 filled with ice, add all ingredients and shake well about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with a pineapple chunk (those sugared leftovers are perfect here) and a sprig of mint.

Since we’re using a rich syrup here, I cut the amount back from the original recipe by a 1/4 ounce. I found the drink a touch too sweet on the first try. By doing this, the fruitiness of the pisco comes through a bit more with hints of peach and citrus. The lemon juice gives a pleasant bite that contrasts nicely with the sweetness. Overall, super smooth (thanks gomme!) and an easy sipper.

Thanks again to Thiago for hosting this month and Fred for keeping Mixology Monday alive.

Bake It: PiÃ±a Colada Baked Doughnuts

June 5, 2014 by elana 3 Comments

Did you know the song Do You Like PiÃ±a Coladas is about a couple who decide Â to cheat on each other just to find out that the anonymous person they were talking to was actually each other? Kinda makes the idea of drinking one of these a tad sleazy. I’m not making you a PiÃ±a Colada today; not one you can drink anyway. You’re going to get one you can EAT.

I have a love/hate relationship with all these food holidays and designated “weeks” “days” and “months”. It’s OK, I guess, to celebrate meatballs or Velveeta, but doughnuts? I’m getting on board with this one… if only because it gives me another excuse to bake for this site.

On twitter, there are a hefty amount of bakers, food bloggers, etc. that I follow. And why not? I like food. At some point this week I picked up on the hashtag #doughnutweek and realized that it culminated with this Friday beingÂ national doughnut day. Now, lately I will look for any excuse to make doughnuts. And before you go thinking I’ve got a fryolator out on my back porch, I meanÂ baked doughnuts. The easiest, fastest, marginally-better-for-you-version of the regular doughnut. So I decided I’d add one more recipe to this pile; except my recipe would have rum in it. Naturally.

I’m not even sure why I thought a PiÃ±a Colada doughnut would have to be it. Maybe it was that dang song I had stuck in my head. But that was pretty much my first thought about what doughnut to would make an appearance on the site. So here you go folks, let’s bake.

Coconut Doughnuts

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
yields 6-8 doughnuts
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
scant 1/3 cup (59g) granulated sugar (I used Zulka Pune Cane Sugar here*)
1/4 cup (60ml) Coco Lopez Coconut Cream (or sub full fat coconut milk)
1/4 cup (60g) Greek yogurt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon amber rum

Pineapple-Rum Glaze

6 tablespoonsÂ powdered sugar
1-1/2 teaspoonÂ amber rum
2-1/2 tablespoonsÂ pineapple juice

Toppings

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons pineapple pieces

For the toppings:Â Heat oven to 250Â°F.Â In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add shredded coconut. When it starts to brown, start stirring so nothing burns and all the coconut gets browned evenly. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Place pineapple pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat, spread so none are touching. Bake to dehydrate for 3 hours, turning with a spatula every hour. Turn off heat and let rest for an additional hour. Remove from oven and cool in an airtight container.
For the doughnuts:Â Heat oven to 350Â°F. Spray doughnut pan with nonstick spray, or, if your pan is nonstick, this is optional (I never need to add anything to my pan).
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl. Set aside.Â Whisk the Coco Lopez, yogurt, and egg together until smooth. Add the melted butter and rum, whisking until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
Spoon the batter into the donut cups. (I also used the trick mentioned in the original recipe where the batter is spooned into a ziplock, one end of the bag snipped off, and the batter piped into the doughnut pan. This is a pretty good trick)
Bake for 9â€“10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow the donuts to slightly cool before glazing.
For the glaze:Â Combine sugar, rum and pineapple juice in a small bowl. Using a small whisk or form, stir until all sugar has been dissolved. Add dehydrated pineapple to the glaze.
Assembly:Â When doughnuts have cooled slightly, dip into glaze and then dip into toasted coconut shreds.

These doughnuts are SO moist. Not too sweet and super coconut-y. If you’d like to make these kid friendly, just take the rum out. It’s not like they’re going to miss it (or at least I hope not). The pineapple pieces stay in place if you stick them in the glaze first andÂ then dip the doughnuts in. Also, dehydrating the pineapple is totally optional. They taste great fresh too. And if you want to completely skip the toppings and just eat them straight out of your pan, you can do that too. It’s doughnut week after all.Â

*Zulka Pure Cane sugar is an all natural, vegan, non-gmo and minimally processed sugar.Â Items generously given gratis and appear here because I like them. For more info on sponsored products, affiliate links, and gifted booze, please visit theÂ AboutÂ page.