I am so, so excited about the change in weather recently. It has been extremely beautiful here in Connecticut, I even got a tan sitting outside the other day, and we’re finally remembering why living in the Northeast isn’t so bad after all. It’s the first year in awhile that I’ve remembered having true spring weather with temps in the 70s, blue skies, and tons of gorgeous blooms. I decided to celebrate by breaking out my ice cream maker for the first time in 2013. Since my best dental school girlfriends and I took a trip to Miami a few weeks ago, I thought Miami Vice would be a perfect flavor to commemorate our amazing mini-vacation. If you aren’t familiar with the drink, a Miami Vice is half-pina colada, half-strawberry daiquiri. It’s the best choice for a frozen cocktail when you just can’t decide between the classics, and turns out it makes a great sorbet too!
For the sorbet I started with a pina colada base that included basically a whole pineapple and 3 forms of coconut – coconut water, coconut juice, and cream of coconut. And of course rum. Before this recipe I wasn’t even aware that all of those different forms of coconut existed, but now that I do I’ll definitely be going back for more. I altered my strawberry margarita sorbet recipe a bit by subbing the tequila for rum and used it as a swirl throughout the pina colada base. I think the flavors work extremely well together, and the colors are really pretty too. Overall it’s an incredibly refreshing dessert that with enough imagination will immediately transfer you to the beach. Just put on your sunnies, slip on your flip flops, and grab a spoon!
My trip to Miami was for a long weekend with three of my closest friends from school. I didn’t enter dental school thinking I’d make such good friends, but four years of sticking together through the ups and downs of the rigorous curriculum made us extremely close. And I’m very proud to say come Monday we’ll all be doctors, so you can start calling me Dr. Erica Sweet Tooth soon enough!! We took this trip as an early graduation celebration, and it was very well deserved if you ask me :) Miami, specifically South Beach, is such a unique city with its art deco architecture and beach culture. We had a blast and I highly recommend Miami as a girls weekend destination if you need a getaway like we did. The party continues this week and weekend with more graduation festivities, and after that it’s full time wedding mode – t-minus 1 month today!! So many great things happening, so many desserts to help celebrate! (Lots of exclamation points in this post, you’ll have to excuse my excitement for the next few weeks haha)
Miami Vice Sorbet
Pina Colada recipe adapted from Fearless Homemaker
Yield: About 1 quart
Ingredients:
for the pina colada sorbet:
3 cups fresh pineapple, cubed
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light coconut milk
1 tbsp rum
2/3 cup cream of coconut
for the strawberry daiquiri swirl:
1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp rum
Directions:
Make sure your ice cream maker has been in the freezer for 12+ hours.
For the pina colada base, place the pineapple, coconut water, and sugar in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the coconut milk and cream of coconut. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until thoroughly chilled.
Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions (mine is for 25-30 minutes).
While the pina colada sorbet is churning, prepare the strawberry daiquiri swirl. Cut up the strawberries and stir them into a bowl with the sugar and rum. Let mixture stand for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour, stirring occasionally.
Puree the strawberry mixture in a blender until smooth. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the bulk of the seeds. Cover and place mixture in the freezer for about 20 minutes, using a fork to stir the frozen pieces up every 5 minutes.
When the pina colada base in done, transfer to a 9x13" pan. Dollop the semi-frozen strawberry daiquiri mixture on top of the pina colada and use a knife to swirl the two together. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and place in freezer for about an hour before serving.
Congratulations on graduating!! Wishing you all the best :)
Can this sorbet be made virgin? I don’t drink, that’s why I’m asking :)
Erica — May 9th, 2013 @ 11:46 am
Yes, just leave out the 2 tbsp of rum, should still be great!
wow… this looks SO amazing!! i’ll be making this immediately. i’m thinking tomorrow! your page is super cute, btw :) cheers!
Simply Yum! Wow its just mouth watering! Will keep visiting your blog to tickle my taste bud!