American Heritage Baking—Let’s Bake and Learn
by Nancy Baggett

Pina Colada Mousse Pie—Cool Dessert, Hot Trend

If you are a serious trend watcher, you already know that foods come in and out of fashion just like clothing styles. Lately, one of the “hot” flavors is the Carribean-inspired pineapple, coconut, and rum combo found in the refreshing pina colada cocktail. This winning blend is so popular now that it turns up in assorted ice creams, soft drinks, confections, and summer baked goods like the following wonderfully tempting and rather easy pina colada mousse pie.

The classic pina colada always features the taste trio of pineapple, coconut and rum, as well as some cream for smoothness, but the name means simply “strained pineapple” in Spanish. There is a good deal of interesting, but conflicting lore on the origin of the pina colada. This isn’t surprising since people always enjoy inventing or passing along plausible sounding tidbits and tales, and multiple stories are often circulating at once. Having researched a lot of the lore surrounding American sweets for my All-American Dessert Book, I’ve concluded that it’s wise to view these as yarns or legends rather than gospel truth.

One unconvincing account I’ve read concerning the pina colada’s origin mentions that a Spaniard from Barcelona, Ricardo Gracia, started formulating drinks in his grandfather’s bar in 1918, when he was only 4 years old. It’s said that the talented mixologist grew up to own two of the city’s finest restaurants and served many rich and famous customers, including Pablo Picasso and Salvadore Dali. Exactly how Gracia came to devise his now famous cocktail is not explained.

A more specific variant of this tale is that at some point in the 1950s Ricardo Gracia worked at the grand Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, where guests were always offered a complimentary “coco loco” cocktail, a cream of coconut and rum beverage presented in a coconut. One day, so the story goes, the coconut cutters union decided to strike, and the enterprising Gracia served the drinks in hollowed-out pineapples. To intensify the pineapple flavor, he added some strained pineapple and dubbed his invention the pina colada. Of course, it was a big hit!

In another somewhat similar story, which the Caribe Hilton itself promotes, a bartender named Ramon Marrero worked there and developed the pina colada formula in 1954. In 1978, with much fanfare, the makers of Coco Lopez cream of coconut gave Marrero a color television set in appreciation for his having served so many pina coladas at the Hotel. Puerto Rico has declared the brew its national drink.

It’s fun to examine what details of these various “histories” might be fact or fiction. Fact: the Caribe Hilton is a famous San Juan landmark and has been serving pina coladas since the 1950s. And according to Jared Brown, who researched and wrote an article on pina coladas for Mixologist: The Journal of the American Cocktail, Ramon Marrero, now deceased, did work at the San Juan Hilton for many years. Brown also tracked down Ricardo Gracia, now in his nineties and retired in Florida, who was likewise employed at the Hilton at some point. Gracia claims the pina colada was his invention and that he taught many bartenders how to make it during his career.

Several enticing pieces of solid information confuse the already muddled issue further. A 1947 article in the Washington Post noted that customers of Ruby Foo’s (a Chinese eatery) could order pina coladas, “with or without ‘oomph.’” And a 1937 item in the Middletown, New York Times Herald mentioned the appearance of a “cocoanut and pineapple mixture called Pinacolada.” Obviously, the combo and name existed well before Ramon Marrero’s supposed 1954 invention!

Additional facts that those seeking the real story should consider: Cubans have been sipping a traditional coconut and rum drink called saoco for decades, and sometimes they also cool off with a “Havana loco,” a rum and fruit blend cocktail. Maybe in the early twentieth century, on a whim somebody in Cuba decided to embellish his usual saoco with a bit of—why not!?—pina colada (strained pineapple). Yes, this explanation lacks drama, but, the old saying notwithstanding, I’ve found that the truth often is less strange than fiction.

Pina Colada Mousse Pie (printable recipe)

The custom of featuring the flavors of a favorite beverage in a dessert isn’t new in America. Eggnog custard pies have been turning up since at least the early twentieth century. In the last thirty or forty years, as the grasshopper (a green crème de menthe and crème de cacao concoction), and the brandy Alexander (a brandy-cream blend) became the rage, trendy cooks also proudly served up pies spotlighting those flavors. More recently, with the widespread popularity of the margarita, especially the strawberry version, strawberry margarita pies have proliferated.

While all these novelty pies have charm, I find the pineapple-coconut-rum creation the most enticing. In fact, this pie is downright addictive! The secret to the intense pineapple flavor and lovely creamy texture of the mousse is in using frozen pineapple juice concentrate, which is also a very convenient product. If you prefer to omit the rum, the pie will still be delicious, though not a true pina coloda pie, of course! It’s also alright to omit the toasted coconut garnish, but I think this adds nice crunch and extra coconut flavor.

Since it can be made well ahead, the recipe is a perfect choice for summer entertaining. I like the filling best in a pre-baked pastry shell, but it is also good in a baked graham cracker crust. (Any graham crumb crust recipe designed for a 9-inch pie will work well.) You can ready the pastry shell using the pie crust recipe accompanying the Maple Custard Pie in my Recipe Archives. Pre-bake the shell exactly as directed, except continue baking until it is a pleasing golden color and cool it completely before filling.

1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (about 1 1/3 packets)
Scant 2/3 cup frozen (thawed) pineapple juice concentrate
1 15- or 16-ounce can cream of coconut, such as Loco Lopez brand (do not use coconut milk)
1 1/2 tablespoons light or dark rum, preferably coconut flavored, optional
1 1/3 cups heavy (whipping) cream, well chilled

1 9-inch by 1 1/2-inch (not deep-dish) fully baked pastry pie shell or baked graham cracker pie crust
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded or flaked coconut, toasted,* optional garnish

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a small cup. Let stand until the gelatin softens, stirring once or twice, about 5 minutes. In a medium non reactive saucepan, bring the pineapple juice to a full boil and boil 30 seconds; don’t skip this step as undercooked pineapple will keep the gelatin from setting. Remove from the heat. Stir the gelatin mixture into the saucepan until the gelatin completely dissolves. Stir in the cream of coconut and rum, if using, until well blended and completely smooth.

Set the saucepan in a large bowl of cold water and ice cubes. Cool, whisking occasionally and scraping the bowl sides and bottom, until the mixture is partially jelled but not completely set, about 12 to 15 minutes.

In a deep, medium-sized bowl, beat the cream to firm peaks. Whisk the whipped cream into the pineapple mixture just until no white streaks remain. Continue chilling the mousse in the ice water about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking occasionally until it is thick enough to mound slightly. Spoon it into the cooled pie shell, mounding slightly. Generously sprinkle the top with cooled, toasted coconut, if desired. Refrigerate, covered, until the mousse sets, at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 3 days.

The slices cut best with a large sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*To toast the coconut: Spread the coconut in a large rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a preheated 350-degree oven, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned and fragrant. Let cool completely before using.