Pina Colada Ice Cream Float

Are you all as Febru-weary as I am? I am so done with winter!!! One time when I lived in Seattle, I was sick of the rain and in order to get myself out of the funk I was in, I had a "Fiji night". I cranked up the heat in my apartment, turned on some steel drum music, and laid out on a beach towel wearing my swimsuit and sunglasses. Sipping on a fruity adult beverage, I was able to relax, unwind, and make through 6 more weeks of winter. Here is a fun beverage loaded with that beachy flavor we could all use right about now. If you would like to make it more adult, I am sure some coconut rum would be fabulous in it!

Ingredients

• 1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks in 100% pineapple juice, no sugar added. I used the Dole Tropical Gold which is AWESOME.
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp coconut extract *
• Vanilla ice cream
• 1 liter club soda

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving the juice and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes until browned. While pineapple is baking, take reserved pineapple juice and put it in a measuring cup, add water to juice to make 1 full cup. Put pineapple juice/water in a pot along with the sugar. Stir to combine, dissolve, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and coconut extract. Once pineapple is roasted, remove from oven and allow to cool, along with the pina colada simple syrup. Once cool, divide pineapple between 4 glasses. Pour 2 TBSP of the pina colada simple syrup over the pineapple in each glass. Add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream to each glass and top off with club soda. Once glasses are full, add an additional 2 TBSP of pina colada simple syrup to top. Enjoy!!!

* If you do not like the taste of coconut, like my daughter and husband, then feel free to omit the coconut extract. Up the vanilla extract to 1 tsp and enjoy as a Pineapple Ice Cream Float!