REIMAGINED PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN DESSERT

Crispy Pineapple Cherry Pecan Biscotti     makes approximately 2 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour, sift first then measure
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 oz. butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
6 oz. pecans (halves and pieces) toasted and cooled
3 oz. candied pineapple, diced
3 oz. dried cherries
½ teaspoon vanilla
egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk

Melt butter in microwave, set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and granulated sugar. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cooled, melted butter and the sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat on low until blended. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients, then the pecans, diced pineapple, dried cherries and vanilla. Blend on low just until combined. The dough will be sticky. Using a rubber scraper, turn the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly flour your hands and divide the dough into two equal pieces, shaping them into logs, about 1½” wide by ¾” thick. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place each log on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart (they spread during baking.) Brush with the egg wash and bake for 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Remove the biscotti from the oven and let cool thoroughly on a rack. It’s easier to slice them for the second bake when they have cooled completely, otherwise they tend to be a bit temperamental (just like some bakers we know…)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place the cooled logs (one at a time) on a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to slice the biscotti diagonally into ½” slices. Lay flat on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Don’t over bake. You want nicely crispy, not call-the-dentist-I-broke-a-filling-crispy.

Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down-in-Rum

(from Mark Miller’s Coyote Café)

1 large sweet ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
½ cup light rum (I used Barbados Silver Rum)
½ cup dark rum (I used Gosling’s Black Seal)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped with the tip of a paring knife
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Place all ingredients in a clean glass jar, cover tightly, and let sit at room temperature for 48 hours. Set a large mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the macerated pineapple, reserving the juice. Measure 3 cups of pineapple and set aside. Save the remainder of the fruit and the juice (refrigerated) to serve with cocktails or desserts. (The Coyote Café suggests placing the pineapple juice in the freezer until very cold and serving with fresh lime juice in martini glasses.)

Reimagined Pineapple Upside Down Dessert       serves 8+

(inspired by Jessie’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake)

1 cup pitted sweet cherries
3 cups Fresh Pineapple Upside Down in Rum, strained
4 tablespoons sweet butter
¾ cup dark brown sugar
generous pinch of salt
½ cup toasted pecans

good quality vanilla ice cream
Crispy Pineapple Cherry Pecan Biscotti

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the brown sugar and salt. Stir over low heat until combined, then add the cherries and strained pineapple. Cook until the cherries plump and the sauce reduces a bit. Remove from the heat, stir in the pecans and let cool. Serve over vanilla ice cream teamed with biscotti. Refrigerate any remaining fruit and sauce.

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