TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO YOUR DREAM TROPICAL ISLAND VACATION IN 3...2...1...
Seriously, if you are dreaming of a tropical vacation this summer...do yourself a favor and make this to be instantly transported.
It's summertime which for me equates to frozen beverage season. I crave a strawberry milkshake at the start of summer and then make sure to have one on the last day of summer...what can I say, I am a sucker for nostalgia. :) The rest of the summer? I unfortunately have to resort to lactose-free beverages...
While whipped lemonades are typically made with heavy cream - my version calls for full-fat coconut milk instead and is delectable. The creaminess of milkshakes that we all know and love meets the refreshing tang of lemonade. This will go down in history as one of my favorite mashups ever!
And just when you don't think it can get any better it does. I was NOT kidding when I said this one is vacation-transporting. You've probably come to this blog post if you've had whipped lemonade before, loved it, and wanted to recreate it at home. This is about to be the best whipped lemonade you've ever had thanks to the addition of lychees. Coconut + lemon + lychee = bliss.
4 ingredients and there you have it...truly, the most luscious whipped lemonade. This one is especially fabulous for impromptu gatherings... throw everything in a blender and that's all there is to it. Now how's that for a sign to invite your friends over as soon as possible for some good catch-up time over some whipped lychee lemonade?
Regarding what to serve, this beverage is delicious paired with quite a bit. I'd probably serve this with some apps (either via takeout or made at home) like spring rolls, papaya salad, and chicken satay. If serving with a main, I'd recommend some fish tacos with mango salsa! Yum!
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INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup of lemon juice, freshly squeezed (roughly the juice of two lemons)
1 11 oz can of lychees in syrup (BOTH THE LYCHEES AND THE SYRUP)
1 cup of full-fat coconut milk
2 1/2 cups of ice cubes (crushed ice works best for this recipe)
More canned lychees (drained) or unpeeled fresh lychees, optional for garnish
Toasted coconut flakes, optional for garnish
DIRECTIONS
I highly recommend freezing your glasses, it ensures your drink stays cold for longer and this is my favorite tip when making frozen drinks so much so that I couldn't just leave it in the notes section.
In a blender, combine freshly squeezed lemon juice, and the entire can of lychees with syrup (you should not strain the lychees as you need both the syrup and the fruit), full-fat coconut milk, and ice cubes.
If you'd like, add a bit of honey to the rim of your glass and then dip the glass in toasted coconut flakes.
Blend for 45-60 seconds until everything is frothy and the ice is fully blended.
Pour into your glassware and garnish with some lychees on a cocktail pick. Serve immediately!
~ Serves 2-3
Notes
You can use light or reduced-fat coconut milk, but the texture and taste (as expected) changes quite a bit. I'd recommend using the full-fat version for the creamiest texture, but this tastes great too with light or reduced-fat coconut milk. :)
If you don't have any remaining lychees for garnish, this recipe is great when garnished with a slice of lemon or two as well.
I've gotten a few questions but canned lychees can be found at select grocers like Vons but your best bet is an Asian grocer like H-Mart or 99 Ranch. They always carry canned lychees!
You can try to use fresh lychees for this recipe but you will also need about 1/2 or more of simple syrup (to taste) since you are no longer using canned lychees. I'd recommend testing a small batch if using fresh lychees first, but I wanted to note as I've gotten several questions about using fresh lychees over the canned version.
On the topic of lemons, I would not compromise on freshly squeezed lemon juice. The bottled stuff in this will not taste right especially since we need such a large quantity of it. Save the bottled stuff for cooking and for this recipe - be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice!
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