Week 35 and what is this? The size of a pineapple?! No, more like the length of a pineapple. Whew. 18 inches and coming along. Pineapple is one of those fruits I like in small amounts and either fresh and cold or cooked into a dessert or meal. Never the canned pineapple for me! We are going to Hawaii soon and I am thinking about sipping on a Piña Colada by the ocean. And then I thought about making another pie-how about roasting pineapples and then adding a layer of coconut cream pie filling on top of that and then on top of THAT whipped cream? Indulgent would be the word for this pie. Be warned-pineapple is sweet so this ends up being a sweet pie. But, the creamy coconut layer and whipped cream draw away from the intensity of the sweet pineapple making this a delicious dessert.
Pineapple filling:
2 large pineapples (cut, cored, into ½ inch chunks
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ cup fresh lime juice
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped out
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons cool water
Pie Crust:
One deep dish pie crust par baked and brushed with egg wash and cooled
Coconut cream filling:
1 ½ cups coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
⅔ cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups shredded coconut
Homemade whipped cream:
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the Pineapple filling:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Place pineapple on a baking sheet and toss with brown sugar. Spread out evenly on the sheet. Roast 45-50 minutes until caramelized.
Combine the lime juice,honey, cinnamon, and vanilla bean seeds in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium low heat. Once honey is melted, simmer one minute longer.
In another bowl whisk the cornstarch and water into a paste. Whisk this into the lime juice mixture and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat.
Transfer cooked pineapple to a bowl and toss with the lime juice mixture.
Reduce the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the cooled crust in the pie plate on a parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer pineapple into the crust and bake on a lower rack until the crust is evenly browned and the pineapple is soft for about 30-30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled.
Make the Coconut Cream filling:
In a medium pot bring the coconut milk, milk, and heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat.
In a medium bowl whisk the sugar with the cornstarch to combine. Add egg yolks and whisk to combine.
When the milk mixture is at a simmer, pour ¼ of it into the egg yolks mixture and whisk to temper the yolks. Pour this mixture back into the pot, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove pot from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
Strain the mixture into a heat proof bowl and fold in 1 ¼ cup coconut into the mixture. Reserve ¼ cup for garnish on top of whipped cream.
Place plastic wrap over the entire surface of coconut cream mixture and refrigerate until cold.
Make the whipped cream:
Whip chilled cream in a bowl until it starts to thicken. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla while the mixture is beating until soft peaks form.
Spread coconut cream mixture over the pineapple. Top with whipped cream and the rest of the coconut flakes.
