Piña Colada in a Pineapple

Cut top off pineapple and discard; reserve leaves for garnish, if desired. Run a knife around the inside of the pineapple about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the peel (keep the knife pointed away from your body to avoid injury if it slips). Scoop out the insides of the pineapple with a large spoon (or use a special tool; see Tip). Reserve the flesh for another use or use some to thicken the drink. If desired, place the pineapple flesh in a colander set over a bowl and mash it to extract as much juice as possible; use this in the next step, supplementing with other pineapple juice if you don't extract 4 ounces.

Place ice, rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and up to 1 cup of the reserved pineapple flesh (if desired) in a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pineapple bowl and garnish with the reserved leaves and maraschino cherries, if desired.