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Caramelised pineapple coconut tart on a metal plate with forks, sliced limes and a bowl of desiccated coconut.
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Caramelised Pineapple Coconut tart

Caramelised pineapple coconut tart - this delicious vegan tart with sweet, sticky rum caramelised pineapple, coconut rum pastry cream and crisp shortcrust pastry is a tropical flavour bomb!
Course Dessert
Cuisine vegan
Keyword tart
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 10 people
Author Domestic Gothess

Equipment

  • 23 - 25 cm (9 - 10 in) loose bottomed tart tin

Ingredients

Pastry:

  • 200 g (1 + ⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 50 g (½ cup) ground almonds (almond flour)
  • 30 g (⅓ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 130 g (½ cup + 1 Tablespoon) vegan block butter cold and diced
  • 1 Tablespoon cold vodka (or water)

Crème pâtissière:

  • 60 g (½ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 100 ml (7 Tablespoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
  • 400 ml (14 oz) tin full fat coconut milk
  • 100 g (½ cup) caster or granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 60 g (¼ cup) vegan block butter
  • 2 Tablespoons dark rum (optional)

Pineapple:

  • 1 medium-large fresh pineapple
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) dark rum
  • 100 g (½ cup) light brown soft sugar
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 20 g (4 teaspoons) vegan butter

To assemble:

  • 75 g (2 ½ oz) vegan white chocolate melted
  • desiccated coconut for sprinkling (optional)
  • finely grated lime zest for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Pastry:

  • To make the pastry, place the flour, ground almonds, icing sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
  • Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of butter remain.
  • Add the cold vodka (if using) and mix to combine. Gradually add enough cold water to bring the pastry together into a ball. Shape the pastry into a disc (don't knead it), wrap and refrigerate for about an hour until firm enough to roll out.
  • Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a circle big enough to line a 23-25 cm (9-10 in) loose bottomed tart tin. Press the pastry right into the corners then trim off the excess.
  • Prick the base of the pastry shell all over with a fork then place it in the freezer for 20 minutes until solid. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
  • Line the pastry case with baking parchment, pressing it right into the corners, then fill with baking beans or dried rice, making sure that the sides are propped up.
  • Bake for 25 minutes then remove the tin foil and baking beans and return the tart shell to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes until nicely browned. Set aside to cool.

Crème pâtissière

  • Place the cornstarch in a pan and gradually whisk in the soy milk, making sure that there are no lumps. Whisk in the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla.
  • Place the pan over a low-medium heat and stir constantly until it comes up to the boil and thickens. Once it starts to thicken, whisk it vigorously for about a minute, making sure that you get right into the edges of the pan. When you stop for a few seconds, a few big bubbles should rise to the surface and pop.
  • Remove from the heat, add the butter and rum and stir until melted and fully combined.
  • Scrape the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with baking paper or clingfilm directly on the surface of the pastry cream, this will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours until cold.
  • Once the pastry cream is cold it will have thickened further and may seem a bit rubbery. Give it a good whisk with a balloon whisk, electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and it will become smooth and creamy again. It is now ready to use.

Pineapple:

  • Top and tail the pineapple, cut off the skin and remove the eyes. Cut it into slices about 2-2.5 cm (1 in) wide, remove the core and cut into chunks.
  • Mix together the brown sugar, rum and lime juice in a large bowl and stir in the pineapple, making sure it is well coated.
  • Heat the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the pineapple pieces in a single layer, reserving the juice for later. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until lightly golden.
  • Add the reserved sugar liquid to the pan and simmer until it has mostly evaporated and thickened to a syrup, stirring every now and again. Set aside to cool.

Assembly:

  • Brush the inside of the cooled pastry case with the melted white chocolate making sure it is well coated and set aside until set.
  • Give the chilled pastry cream a good whisk until it becomes smooth and creamy again then dollop it into the pastry case and spread it level.
  • Arrange the pineapple on top of the pastry cream, you can be artsy and arrange it in a pattern or simply chuck it on haphazardly.
  • Sprinkle over some desiccated coconut and grated lime zest if you like and serve.

Notes

  • See post above for tips, details and step-by-step photos.
  • All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
  • If the pastry cream becomes lumpy at all, either before or after it is refrigerated, simply give it a good whisk then use the back of a spoon to scrape it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps.