Good Morning, everyone- and hello, August! Before I get to work at my office (and prepare to fight off a migraine from staring at my screen so intently for such long periods of time)– I wanted to share this quick and easy Summertime dessert recipe I recently discovered floating around the internet that I’ve been whipping up at home for guests that pop by- and for myself!
I love pretty much anything with pineapple in it, which is why I’m sort of shocked I’ve never thought to grill it before until now. Sure, I’ve cooked and baked with slices or cubes of it in the past- but to simply grill it and substitute it for a banana in a sundae/split? It never crossed my mind- but it’s a game changer!
You can use any type of ice cream you want for this recipe, too. It calls for vanilla- but I had some pineapple-coconut Häagen-Dazs (with pieces of fruit mixed in!) already inside of my freezer- and it tasted just fine with that, instead!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 2 cups pitted and halved cherries, plus more cherries for serving
- 1 pineapple—peeled, quartered and cored
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream (or any flavor of your choosing- I picked coconut-pineapple for this one!)
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
- In a small pot, combine the cherries with the sugar and ¼ cup water over medium heat and cook until the cherries break down, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and use a potato masher or a fork to mash it into a paste. Strain into a small bowl, stir in the vanilla and set aside.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Add the pineapple quarters and cook until charred all over, about 4 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, cut the pineapple quarters into long strips or bite-sized pieces.
- Scoop the ice cream into bowls and top with pineapple, fresh cherries and cherry sauce. Serve immediately.
This is such a light, tasty, sweet (and a little tangy) treat to enjoy on a hot day. The pineapple has a certain crispiness to it when it’s grilled- and if served right away the ice cream melts just enough to coat all of the wedges. You can serve the dish with as much cherry sauce and whole cherries on the side as you want- depending on your preference. I personally love a ton of them on mine!
I’m thinking when I make this again this coming weekend- I’ll include some grilled bananas and maybe some strawberries, too!
xx
– Ashley –
Blondie Birdie 