Pineapple Tarts

Mini tarts with a buttery crust and syrupy pineapple and wine filling

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City/Region: England

Time Period: 1736

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For hundreds of years, the pineapple was a status symbol for the very wealthiest of European royalty and nobility. A single pineapple could cost $10,000 in today’s money, and pineapples turned up in architecture, tableware, paintings, clothing, and accessories. Many knew what pineapples looked like, but few had actually tasted one.

And that’s a real shame, because these tarts are absolutely delicious. The crust is good, but the real showstopper is the filling. Pineapple is the main flavor, but the wine gives it a wonderful complexity. You could even make just the filling and serve it with some whipped cream or ice cream and it would be amazing. If you have any leftover syrup, it would go great in some cocktails.

“To make Paste. From Mrs. Peasly.
…If you would have a sweet Paste; then take half a Pound of Butter, and rub it into about a Pound of Flour, with two or three Ounces of double-refined Sugar powder’d, and make it a Paste, with cold Milk, some Sack and Brandy. This is a very good one.”

“To make a Tart of Ananas, or Pine-Apple. From Barbadoes.
Take a Pine-Apple, and twist off its Crown: then pare it free from the Knots, and cut it in Slices about half an Inch thick; then stew it with a little Canary Wine, or Madera Wine, and some Sugar, till it is thoroughly hot, and it will distribute its Flavour to the Wine much better than any thing we can add to it. When it is as one would have it, take it from the Fire; and when it is cool, put it into a sweet Paste, with its Liquor, and bake it gently, a little while, and when it comes from the Oven, pour Cream over it, (if you have it) and serve it either hot or cold.”

— The Country Housewife and Lady’s Director by R. Bradley (6th Edition), 1736

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Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 3/4 cups (225 g) flour
• Generous 1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 tablespoon Malmsey or other semi sweet dessert wine
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Filling

• 1 small pineapple
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 Malmsey or other semi sweet dessert wine

Instructions:

1. For the crust: Whisk the flour and powdered sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until it’s well incorporated and has a sandy texture.
3. Add the brandy, wine, and about half of the milk and work the mixture with your hands until it begins to form a dough. If the mixture is too dry, add more milk a little at a time until it comes together. You may not need all of the milk.
4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it a few times until there are no more bits of flour visible.
5. Flatten the dough out into a disc about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, wrap it up, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
7. After the dough has chilled and rested for at least 1 hour, place it on a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough disc all over with a rolling pin until it softens up enough to roll out. Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.
8. You can make one 9 inch tart or six 4 inch ones, which is what I did. Line your preferred tart tin(s) with the dough, making sure to press dough gently into the bottom and sides. Dock the bottom of the tarts all over with a fork.
9. Blind bake the dough by lining it with parchment and filling them with baking weights, dry beans, or dry rice. Crumpling the parchment up before using it can help it reach into the corners. Place the tins on a baking sheet.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the parchment and baking beans. Return them to the oven for 5 minutes or until the bottom of the tart looks dry and the crust has lightly browned. Let the tart crusts cool and remove them from the tart pans. Place the crusts on a baking sheet.
11. For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
12. Slice the top and bottom off of the pineapple, then cut off the prickly skin. Use a paring knife to carefully cut out any remaining prickly bits.
13. Slice the pineapple into 1/2 inch (1 cm) slices and remove the core. A small round cookie cutter is helpful for core removal. If you’re making smaller tarts like I did, then cut the pineapple rings into pieces, about sixths or eighths. If you’re making a large tart, you can leave them whole. Place the pineapple in a large pan.
14. In a bowl, whisk together the wine and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour this mixture over the pineapple.
15. Set the pan over medium high heat and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer until the pineapple has become quite soft and the syrup has thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the pineapple cool for a few minutes.
16. To assemble: Spoon the pineapple into your tarts, filling them most of the way. Pour some of the syrup over the pineapple, filling the tarts. You may want to simmer the syrup by itself for a little while longer if it’s not nice and thick.
17. Bake the tarts for 20 minutes or until the syrup is bubbling.
18. Serve the tarts forth hot or cold, with a little cream drizzled on top if you wish. If you let them cool to room temperature, the syrup thickens up and they’re less messy to eat.

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