SEUSSIAN PINEAPPLE PIE

makes one 9” pie
 
Pie Pastry for one double crust 9” pie
(from Nick Malgieri)
 
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 oz. unsalted butter, chilled, cut into ½” pieces
2 large eggs
 
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Use a bench scraper or your fingertips to incorporate the butter pieces throughout the flour. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add them to the flour/butter mixture using a fork to incorporate until you have a shaggy dough. Gather the dough together, divide it in half and shape each half into a disc. Gently flatten each disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.
 
Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll the dough into a circle about 12” in diameter and ⅛” thick. Transfer the dough to a 9” pie plate, fold the edges under and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate. Retrieve the second disc of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into a circle about 10” in diameter and ⅛” thick. Cut into 1” strips using a pastry cutter. Slide the parchment paper with the lattice strips on to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
 
Fresh Pineapple Filling- (adapted from Allison Kave)

(Allison's recipe calls for granulated sugar and fresh lime.  I substituted dark brown sugar because I always associate pineapple with  pineapple upside down cake.  The fresh orange zest and juice pairs  beautifully with the  pineapple and  rum; truth be told, I was lime-less in Maplewood.)
 
4 large eggs
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dark rum
½ stick (2 oz.) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (1 large pineapple will do the trick, with leftovers)
 
egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, salt, orange zest, orange juice and rum. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and flour until smooth. Add the butter/flour mixture to the eggs/brown sugar mixture whisking to incorporate. Stir in the pineapple. Retrieve the bottom crust and lattice strips from the refrigerator. Pour the pineapple filling into the pie shell then place the lattice strips on top of the filling. (You can make a full-fledged woven lattice or simply place the strips on top of each other, working from the center of the pie out; place one strip in the middle of the pie, then add another perpendicular to the first, then additional strips parallel and perpendicular until you have covered the filling.) Tuck the edges under, sealing the top crust to the bottom, crimping decoratively. Brush the lattice strips (not the edges) with the egg wash. Place the pie back in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill the crust. Place the chilled pie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes, rotating the pie halfway through. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and move the baking sheet to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. (You can insert a small paring knife in the center of the pie; it should test clean.) Place the pie on a rack to cool completely before slicing. Serve this pie with vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.