I find it’s always worth a wander around the fruit market when I’m at a loss for an idea. There will always be a fresh ingredient which catches my eye, starts the taste buds tingling and the grey matter groaning to a start. Recently it was a robust looking pineapple.
I don’t often think of cooking with pineapple even though I usually keep peeled chunks of it to be eaten cold straight from the fridge but I have cooked it here and used it as a filling for a cake.
This cake is an unusual combination of shortcake and meringue baked together then sandwiching a rich mixture of caramelised pineapple and whipped cream but any fruit, whatever catches your eye, fresh or poached, folded through the cream would be delicious.
Star anise is another lovely combination with pineapple and you could use it to flavour the caramelised pineapple instead of the vanilla.
The recipe below is a quick and easy one. The addition of the cream and pineapple filling makes it a rich and tasty dessert.
Rosie
CARAMELISED PINEAPPLE MERINGUE -SHORTCAKE
Serves 10 - 12
Shortcake
120 gm unsalted butter, softened
100 gm caster sugar
5 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue, below)
110 gm Revenge Gluten-free Almond Plain Flour Mix
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
Pinch salt
60 ml milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 160°. Grease and line two 24cm cake tins with non-stick baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla. Spread over the base of the prepared cake tins and chill in the fridge.
Meringue
5 large egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
220 gm caster sugar
1 tablespoon caster sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
20 gm flaked almonds, lightly roasted
Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking until the mixture is firm and glossy.
Spread the meringue over the shortcake base in the cake tins, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake for 30 minutes until the top is lightly golden. Allow to cool.
Caramelised Pineapple
100 gm brown sugar
200 gm honey
2 tablespoon dark rum
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds removed
1 large, fresh pineapple, peeled and diced to yield around 650g
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
Place brown sugar, honey, dark rum, vanilla seeds and pod into a frying pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple dice and cook over a medium heat, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced to almost nothing. Add salt. Allow to become completely cold before filling the cake.
To Assemble
500 ml thickened cream, whipped
Place one of the cake/meringue layers, with the meringue side facing down, onto a cake plate. Fold the pineapple and half the whipped cream together. Spread over the cake. Top with the second layer of cake/meringue with the meringue side facing up. Smooth the remaining half of the whipped cream around the sides of the cake. Scatter the top with flakes almonds.
This cake will keep in the fridge for a few days and is just as delicious as on the day of baking. Remove from the fridge half an hour before serving.
Revenge Gluten-free Almond Plain Flour Mix
280 gm almond meal
210 gm besan flour
280 gm fine white rice flour
175 gm corn flour
Mix up a batch and store in the fridge.
Revenge Gluten-free Baking Powder
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons bi-carb soda
2 tablespoons cornflour