Fresh Pineapple Bake a decadent, light, delicious and addicting dessert is a wonderful treat after a Sunday meal. Could we enjoy a Sunday dinner without dessert? Just under 30 minutes, Fresh Pineapple Bake completes a satisfying meal.
I usually bake one or two desserts on the weekends. I am not a huge fan of sweets and my desserts are usually simple, with no icing or no cake filling. My weekend desserts are simple and quick and I get to spend less time in the kitchen.
Sunday Dinner with fresh pineapple
A Sunday dinner menu idea could be effortless. Green Banana Blaff, Roasted Lamb, Roasted Veggies, and a fresh pineapple bake dessert – an appetizing and tantalizing menu to bring joy to the dinner table. Why do we indulge ourselves in delicious and fancy meals on Sunday?
I have always found it a bit weird that Sundays are dedicated to fancy meals. I have not heard anyone referring to Sunday as a “sacred day.” It is not a sacred day! Is it a day of hope? Would it be because it ends a week and gives you hope for the following week?
Sunday dinner is a tradition man created. Why was it created and for what purpose? I started asking myself who created this tradition. Who decided that this would be the day for a fancy dinner?
The origin of the Sunday Dinner meal is very interesting. The history of Sunday Dinner meal originated in England. After church, everyone would gather at the dinner table to savor a meal that would be comparable to a Christmas dinner. Usually, a large piece of meat would be placed in the oven with potatoes and vegetables early in the day. And by the time church services were over, the meal was ready to be eaten.
Sunday dinner is a smaller version of Christmas dinner, a lesser version of a holiday meal. The tradition expanded to other continents. The expansion and tradition rooted in religion.
In the Caribbean, the same tradition is followed. Sunday dinner is enjoyed after church services. The dinner is usually served between 1 and 3 pm. This way, everyone would have a chance to unwind a bit after church.
Light desserts are common in the Caribbean. Some sort of fruit cake is usually the norm. But usually, the occasional pastries would be present. Just a treat to celebrate special occasions.
Pineapple, the fruit
I read a recipe post from another food blog one day that defined a dish as the Caribbean by adding pineapple. I was very upset and wrote an article called Adding pineapple to a dish that does not mean it’s Caribbean!
Why would someone add pineapple to a dish and say it is a Caribbean dish? It is an exotic fruit, I get it! I am not calling the Fresh Pineapple Bake, Caribbean Fresh Pineapple Bake. I could! But I won’t.
We eat a lot of pineapples but we are not addicted. We are addicted to eating fresh fruits period. I am pretty sure other countries are the same as well.
Recipe inspiration and tips
The recipe was inspired by a cookbook called Sweet Treats. And with all recipes, I love adding my own flavor to make it more original. To make it fun and delicious.
The recipe starts with fresh pineapple. If you don’t have fresh pineapple, I would strongly suggest not to use canned pineapple. Not a good idea at all!
The taste is very different and the texture not the same. Canned pineapple slices are softer. Although the fresh pineapple slices are baked for a few minutes before adding the flour or cornstarch mixture, they are still crunchy. And that to me is the whole point of making this fancy, quick, delicious dessert.
I have made this dessert many different ways. The original version has black and golden raisins. What about adding dried cranberries or dried cherries? I love it when I put on my creative hat on! You should do the same also when in the kitchen. 🙂
The raisins are okay. Nothing extravagant. I love the slight tartness of dried cranberries and dried cherries. I have also made the same recipe with dried apricots and I am not a huge fan of the variation. Dried dates, dried figs…. Not so great either! But again, that would depend on what you prefer.
I prefer dried cranberries, dried cherries, and raisins. They are smaller in size, easier to handle and add more flavors to the rum.
My preferred rum to use in baking is Rhum Bacardi. I prefer robust rum and this type of rum is the answer for me. Rhum Barbancourt is a must in every Haitian household.
Cornstarch is in the original recipe. I am sure many of you would agree that we don’t always have a jar or a box of cornstarch in our pantry. Here’s the best substitute – flour!
Flour is a great substitute for cornstarch. Flour creates more lumps and a good spatula will definitely help remove these lumps quickly. It is one ingredient you must always have in your pantry.
One other ingredient, maple syrup. I really have to say this. Please refrain from using molasses! Definitely not the same!!! Please avoid it in this recipe.
There is no common substitute for Maple syrup. Maple syrup is mostly used as a breakfast ingredient for pancakes, waffles, etc… For this recipe, I have used Agave and Honey. Agave syrup has a lighter texture and less sweet than maple syrup. Honey has a heavier texture and sweeter than maple syrup.
If you are planning on substituting maple syrup I would advise tasting the pineapple first. There are several varieties of pineapple and some are sweeter than others. Depending on the sweetness adjust the sweetener.
Have I shared enough tips? Not quite yet. You will need to sprinkle sugar on top of your flour or cornstarch mixture. Here are your choices: muscovado sugar, coarse brown sugar or turbinado sugar. Each will give the top a different color – very important to remember the taste won’t change much.
What are you waiting for? Fresh pineapples are delicious and juicy. They make great desserts, roasted or grilled, you will always be happy.
Blissful Fresh Pineapple Bake, a 30 minute dessert
Ingredients
- 1 large pineapple
- 1/3 cup of dried fruits raisins, cranberries, or cherries
- Zest of 1 small orange or tangerine
- 4 tbsp maple syrup organic preferably
- 4 tbsp dark rum
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 2 eggs white
- 2 tbsp muscovado sugar turbinado sugar, light or dark brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and dry the pineapple. Cut off the both ends (leafy part and the bottom part) and discard. Place on a cutting board or flat plate, stand the pineapple on one end and with a sharp knife, slice off the skin, removing the prickly skin and the “eyes” or brown spots. Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise and cut out the hard, woody core, then slice the flesh
- Arrange the slices in a large ovenproof dish and sprinkle dried fruits. Drizzle half of the maple syrup and half of the rum. Sprinkle the orange zest.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices or until the pineapple slices are slightly softer.
- Mix the remaining maple syrup, rum, egg yolk, cornstarch/flour, vanilla extract and ginger in a bowl. If using flour, make sure there are no lumps.
- Whisk the egg whites in a separate and cleaned bowl until a soft peak is formed.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold the remaining egg yolks mixture into the egg whites.
- Spread the topping over the hot pineapple slices, then sprinkle sugar over the top. Bake in a 475? preheated oven for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Use fresh pineapple only, no canned.
Use a good vanilla extract brand. Use a food rum brand. Can also use white rum but dark rum is favorable.
Use any preferred dried semi tart fruits
Substitute flour for cornstarch if unavailable.
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