Mahana Cocktail

By Cindy

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• One 16-ounce bag frozen pineapple, not thawed, or one 3 1/2-pound pineapple, trimmed, skinned, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 cup vanilla-flavored vodka
• 2/3 cup orange liqueur
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• Fresh pineapple slices
• Paper cocktail umbrellas

Preparation

Step 1

Blend the pineapple, ice, vodka, liqueur and sugar until smooth and frothy in a blender. Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with pineapple and paper umbrellas.

Cook's Notes: To make vanilla-flavored vodka, place 3 whole vanilla beans in a 750 ml bottle of plain vodka. Place the bottle in a cool dark place for at least 10 days to allow the vanilla to infuse the vodka. Open the bottle occasionally during the infusion time.

For a non-alcoholic version, blend one 16-ounce bag of frozen pineapple, 1 cup ginger ale, 1 cup fresh orange juice, 1 cup coconut milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, if desired, until smooth in a blender.