Pineapple, coconut and rum are the stars of this crazy deconstructed Pina Colada.

Today I am bringing an edible treat to you. This crazy good shot is inspired by Mexico and my favorite beachy drink: the Pina Colada.

I love Pina Coladas because I believe they define "tropical" with their pineapple and coconut flavors—they transport you to the beach without the plane ticket. Labor Day signals a time that summer is ending, so I wanted to go out with a bang and post something insane. I decided to fry my booze!

Fried pineapple is so good. So I decided to soak pineapple in booze, roll it in coconut and deep fry it until it was a juicy nugget of Pina Colada goodness. The coconut on the outside keeps the booze in and the greasiness to a minimum. I was a little hesitant at first, but after I drizzled the fried shots in coconut cream they tasted like Pina Colada heaven. These shots would also be good served with a coconut ice cream or sorbet as an appetizer or dessert. Elevate your party with fried Pina Colada shots: they will wow your guest with something super creative and tropical.

Fried Pina Colada Shots

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of rum
• ½ fresh pineapple, cut into cubes
• ½ cup of prepared pancake batter
• ½ cup of shredded coconut
• ½ cup to 1 cup of high heat oil
• ½ cup of coconut cream

Garnish: shredded coconut and coconut cream drizzle

Note: I soaked some extra pineapple cubes in rum and did not fry them. I found that they were really good mixed into the fried one so that the guests got to taste the variations.

Preparations:

• Add rum to a medium sized mixing bowl then add cubes of pineapple
• Let the pineapple soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour
• Take 2 medium sized mixing bowls
• Add pancake batter to one and shredded coconut to the other
• Take pineapple out of the rum and drain on paper towels
• Put oil into a pan so that it is 2-3 inches deep and heat to 350 degrees
• Add pineapple cubes 2-3 at a time to the pancake batter then roll in the shredded coconut
• Add pineapple to oil and fry until browned on all sides
• Continue to fry in batches
• Drain fried pineapple on a paper towel
• After the pineapple has cooled garnish it with shredded pineapple and coconut cream
• Optional: You can mix plain soaked rum pineapple in with the fried pineapple for a fun presentation
• Serve and enjoy

Yields: 2-4 servings

Cheers!