Pineapple Coconut Tart — coconut frangipane and caramelised pineapple

i. Origin & history

The structure of this tart is pure French pâtisserie. A crisp pâte sucrée case filled with frangipane and fruit is one of the standard formats of the French pastry shop — the same build as the pear tarte Bourdaloue (see pear tart) or an almond tart with seasonal fruit. Swapping the almonds for coconut and the pear for pineapple shifts it to the tropics.

That shift has a real home in the French Antilles — Guadeloupe and Martinique — where French baking met Caribbean ingredients. Coconut and pineapple are everyday in Antillean sweets: tarte coco and tarte à l'ananas (pastry filled with coconut or pineapple jam) are sold at bakeries and markets, and the islands of Les Saintes are known for the tourment d'amour, a small tart of pastry, coconut or fruit jam and a sponge topping. Rum, the islands' great product, is a natural partner for both fruits.

There is no single classic recipe for a pineapple and coconut frangipane tart; it is a modern combination that draws on both traditions and appears in many French home and bistro kitchens. The version here keeps the French method — a blind-baked case, creamed frangipane and glazed fruit — while the rum, vanilla and brown sugar caramel lean towards the Caribbean.

Pineapple and coconut have also been paired in the English-speaking tropics, from the Caribbean piña colada to Hawaiian and Australian baking, and in Southeast Asia, where buttery pineapple pastries are a festive staple.

ii. Why the pineapple is caramelised first

Raw pineapple is a difficult fruit to bake. It is very juicy, and it contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. Juice leaking from raw slices makes the filling wet and the pastry soggy, and bromelain can stop egg-based fillings from setting properly at the edges where the fruit touches. Cooking the pineapple first solves both problems: heat denatures the enzyme, and sautéing in butter and sugar drives off much of the water while concentrating the fruit's flavour.

The caramel also adds colour and depth. As the pineapple cooks in brown sugar and butter, the sugars brown and the slices take on a glossy, amber surface; a splash of rum at the end deglazes the pan. The reduced juices make a ready-made glaze for the finished tart.

The coconut frangipane follows the method of almond cream (crème d'amande): butter and sugar creamed, eggs beaten in, then the dry ingredient folded through. Desiccated coconut absorbs moisture more than ground almonds do, so the filling includes a little flour and coconut milk to keep it tender and moist rather than dry. As it bakes, the frangipane puffs around the fruit and turns golden and toasty at the edges.

Blind-baking the case first gives crisp pastry under a moist filling. Pâte sucrée, rich in butter and sugar, browns easily, so it is baked until pale gold before filling, then finishes cooking with the frangipane.

iii. Ingredients

Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 200 g plain flour
• 100 g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 60 g icing sugar
• 1 egg, for the pastry
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 medium pineapple (about 600 g peeled and cored)
• 25 g butter, for the pineapple
• 50 g light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp dark or amber rum
• 100 g soft unsalted butter, for the frangipane
• 100 g caster sugar
• 2 eggs, for the frangipane
• 120 g desiccated coconut
• 20 g plain flour, for the frangipane
• 50 ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

A fresh pineapple gives the best flavour and texture; tinned pineapple rings in juice work if well drained and patted dry, and need only a few minutes in the pan. Use unsweetened desiccated coconut; sweetened flaked coconut makes the filling cloying and wet. Coconut milk keeps the frangipane moist and deepens the coconut flavour; whole milk or cream can be used. Rum is traditional with both fruits in the Antilles — an amber rhum agricole is ideal — but can be replaced by lime juice. The pastry uses icing sugar, which gives a finer, crisper pâte sucrée than granulated.

iv. Method

1. For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, icing sugar and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the egg and bring together into a smooth dough without overworking. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Roll the pastry 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm loose-based tart tin. Prick the base and chill for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F), or 160 °C fan.
3. Line the case with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5–8 minutes more, until pale golden and dry. Cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile, cut the pineapple into 1 cm slices, then into half-moons or wedges. Melt the 25 g butter in a large frying pan, add the brown sugar and pineapple and cook over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, turning, until the slices are golden and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the rum and cook for 1 minute until syrupy. Lift out the fruit and keep the syrup.
5. For the frangipane, beat the soft butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the coconut, flour, coconut milk and vanilla.
6. Spread the frangipane in the pastry case and arrange the pineapple on top, pressing it in lightly.
7. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the filling is puffed and golden and a skewer in the frangipane comes out clean. Brush the warm tart with the reserved pan syrup and cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing.

v. Tips & common mistakes

• Cook the pineapple until nearly dry. Wet fruit makes a soggy, pale filling around each slice.
• Never put raw fresh pineapple on the frangipane. Its juice and bromelain stop the filling setting properly.
• Keep the pastry cold. Warm pâte sucrée shrinks and slumps in the oven; chill after lining the tin.
• Blind-bake fully. A pale, damp base under a moist filling turns soggy within hours.
• Use soft, not melted, butter for the frangipane. Melted butter gives a dense, greasy filling.
• Glaze while warm. The reduced rum syrup soaks in and gives a glossy finish; on a cold tart it just sits on top.

vi. Variations

Add the zest of a lime to the frangipane, or a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg in the Antillean style. Replace half the coconut with ground almonds for a softer filling. Make it as a tarte Tatin by laying the caramelised pineapple in the tin and baking the frangipane and pastry on top, then inverting. Mango or banana work in place of pineapple.

For other coconut tarts on DessertCat, see the coconut tart and chocolate coconut tart, and the lime coconut pie. Frangipane-and-fruit tarts include the pear tart and Bakewell tart. For pineapple in pastry, see the Taiwanese pineapple cake.

vii. Serving & storage

Serve the tart at room temperature, cut into wedges, on its own or with crème fraîche, whipped cream, or coconut or rum-and-raisin ice cream. It is best on the day it is baked, when the pastry is at its crispest.

Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days; bring it back to room temperature before serving. The pastry case can be baked a day ahead and stored airtight, and the frangipane made up to 2 days ahead and chilled. The baked tart can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to a month; reheat briefly in a low oven to re-crisp the pastry.

ix. More from French

• Coconut Tart — golden coconut-filled tart
• Almond Tart — tarte aux amandes
• Pear Tart — tarte Bourdaloue
• Lime Coconut Pie — tangy coconut pie
• Pineapple Cake — Taiwanese pineapple pastry
• Cocadas — Latin American coconut sweets