A Surprising and Versatile Pineapple Tart
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Years ago, I was in the Louvre cafe — yes, that Louvre. I forget what I ate for lunch, but I will never forget the only dessert on the menu: tarte a l’ananas.
Ananas? Was that what I thought it was? Pineapple? Really? In a tart? This was new to me. OK. I’d give it a try.
The tart’s crust was barely there, just a buttery whisper under the fruit. The pineapple, thinly sliced, was caramelized in spots. Baking had concentrated its sweetness and tang so that this small wedge packed a blast of bright flavor that belied the dessert’s modest appearance.
Unforgettable.
Note: You can place the dough in an 8- or 9-inch tart pan or go pan-less and shape the dough as a free-form tart for a rustic look. The choice is yours.
This recipe was featured in Huneven’s story “Bitter is beautiful. Greens and beans for grown-ups,” along with a recipe for Bitter Greens and Beans.
Pineapple Tart
Make Tart Crust: Mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter (or pulse in small food processor) until the mixture is the texture of very coarse meal.
Add enough ice-cold water just until mixture comes together in a dough. Shape dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or up to 3 days.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Press into a flat round, then roll out to a very thin crust. You can put the crust in an 8- or 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or leave it flat to shape later into a free-form tart.
Set crust in refrigerator or freezer while you cut the pineapple for the filling.
Fill the tart: Mix together the almond and all-purpose flours and granulated sugar. Spread over area of tart to be covered by the fruit — this is to absorb the liquid produced by the pineapple.
Place pineapple pieces in a slightly overlapping pattern, either circular or in rows, leaving enough of the dough to either crimp or fold over the filling.
Sprinkle pineapple with dark brown sugar. Dot the top of the tart with butter.
If dough is in tart pan, crimp the edges to create a pie-like effect. Or, if making a free-form galette, fold the uneven edges snugly over the edge of the filling to create a crust, partially covering some of the filling.
Bake tart on a foil- or parchment-covered tray in a 375-degree oven for around 45 minutes or until juices are bubbling, the pineapple is soft when pricked, and the crust is nicely browned.
Keep an eye on the tart as it cooks. If it gives off a lot of juice, spoon up the juice and baste the filling with it.
Can be served warm or cooled. The tart goes especially well with vanilla ice cream.
