This scrumptious pineapple tart will bring a touch of the tropics to your tastebuds. Shortcrust pastry and the dual filling of almond and pineapple jam make this tart a tasty one. Perfect for the picnic basket.
With the use of store-bought pastry and a jar of pineapple jam, this tart is relatively easy to make. The difficult, or should I say time-consuming element of this tart is the lattice pastry top. Which you can simplify completely if you wish!
What's in this post
The Pastry
I keep a stash of premade shortcrust pastry in my freezer. There is a particular brand that you can buy in Australia called Carême, which I am rather fond of. It is a time saver and as good as making it yourself.
Of course you can make your own sweet shortcrust pastry for the pineapple tart. If you are going to have an intricate lattice top like in my photos, you will want to make a double qantity.
You can freeze any leftover pastry (unused), if you have some from your homemade batch, for another time.
Ingredients
- Shortcrust pastry: Use store bought or make your own
- Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter on hand, it's okay, use that
- Caster sugar: also known as superfine sugar, is a fine granulated sugar
- Vanilla bean paste: vanilla essence can be used in its place
- Cornflour: Australian cornflour is known as cornstarch in the USA. Not to be confused with finely ground cornmeal
- Almond meal: finely ground almonds (not almond flour)
- Eggs: always use free range if you can
- Pineapple jam: whip up a batch of my delicious pineapple jam or buy some from the store.
Decorative Lattice Top
Weaving the lattice top does takes patience and time. On the odd occasion you may want to throw the bloody pastry out the window in frustration. Oh, hang on, that's probably just me?
Seriously, the latticework for this pineapple tart is on the time-consuming side, more so if you aren't a pastry weaving pro. The final result, I think you will agree, is well worth the effort.
Instead of using skinny minny pastry strips like I did. They around 0.5cm wide (or slightly thinner for some), you could use strips around 1.5cm in width, or even wider.
Not only did I use very thin strips, I decided to get all fancy pants and weave two by two for the design. As I weaved myself into a pastry lattice stupor I forgot what I was doing. This resulted in having to un-weave, and re-weave, and then weave some more.
By using pastry strips 1.5cm in width you will still have an amazing looking pineapple almond tart. Taste wise it isn't going to make an iota of difference. After all, it's all just decoration.
Pineapple jam
Homemade pineapple jam is what makes this pineapple tart special. I shared my pineapple jam recipe a little while back. It is well worth making even if not for this tart.
I ended up making a batch of pineapple jam as quite surprisingly it is hard to find in Australia. I find that amazing considering we grow a hell of a lot of pineapples.
It is one of my favourite jams and adds a lovely tropical touch to the tart. Of course, if you don't have a jar of my fabulous pineapple jam on hand, or have trouble buying it, then substitute raspberry or another favourite flavour.
This pineapple tart would be perfect for a picnic or BBQ. Simply serve it with some freshly whipped cream.
To tart up your tart further you could give it a quick dusting of icing sugar to make it even more fancy pants.
Sara xxx
Printable Recipe
Scrumptious Pineapple Almond Tart
Ingredients
- 3 sheets sweet shortcrust pastry or make your own
- 150 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 115 grams caster sugar (¼ cup)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 150 grams almond meal (1 ⅓ cups)
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups pineapple jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 180°C (360°F).
- Line the base of a 20cm round loose bottomed tart tin with a round of baking paper and spray the sides of the tin lightly with coconut oil or grease lightly with butter.
- Using one sheet of pastry line the tart tin, trim any over hanging pieces, and place in the fridge.
- Lay a piece of non stick baking paper on the kitchen counter to use as your surface to make the lattice for the top of the tart.
- Using a sharp knife and ruler cut strips of pastry to make your lattice. It is really up to you what thickness you would like, in the picture the strips are 0.5cm and 1cm, I mixed it up and little. Interweave your pastry strips to create a lattice look, working from the middle out until you have a lattice top large enough to cover the top of your tart. Cover with a little plastic wrap to prevent it drying out and place in the fridge with your tart tin until needed.
- Using either hand beaters or stand mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until they are light and fluffy. Then add cornflour and half the almond meal. Continue to beat on a low speed until combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, ensuring the first egg is mixed through well before adding the second.
- Add the rest of the almond meal and beat until combined.
- Remove tart tin from the fridge and fill with the almond mixture, spread evenly for a flat surface. Then spread the pineapple jam evenly over the top of the almond mixture.
- Remove plastic wrap from pastry lattice top, and leaving it on the baking paper to assist you, place the pastry lattice on top of the tart (paper side up) and carefully remove the baking paper.
- Trim any overhanging pastry for a neat finish.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Once cooked take it out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire baking rack. Once cool remove carefully from tart tin.
- Serve with cream if desired.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
Rosemarie
Two of my favourite flavours and the lattice work looks great - definitely worth testing your patience
Katie | Katie's Time Travelling Kitchen
This looks delicious! I love the lattice top! 🙂
Noor
Looks so delicious. Love the designing on the top!
Meeta
I absolutely love pineapple but usually end up eating it before I can actually bake with it 🙂 I certainly have to give this a try!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
I'm impressed! This lattice crust is GORGEOUS! As is the rest of the pie! You are a serious baker!! Kudos to you!
Rupal @FoodienFabulous
The lattice is gorgeous, how I'd love to tuck into that!
Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas
I'm not sure I would have your patience to weave that lattice, but the end result is stunning. You've encouraged me to try pineapple jam now too.
Amanda | Chew Town
I reckon the time taken to weave that was TOTALLY worth it... looks amazing. And, I know your love of all things pineapple jam!
Helen | Grab Your Fork
Such a lush sounding tart! And the lattice is a true work of art.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
WOW seriously I don't think I would have the patience for that beautiful pastry work. The tart sounds delicious. I would hate to be the first person to cut into this artwork. Very nice!!
Sarah
Yum!! That crust is GORGEOUS. Wish I could reach through the screen and take a piece!
safira
Looks so delicious and so neat and tidy! Is that Heathen i see?
Bintu - recipes from a pantry
Great lattice work on this, the tart looks so pretty and I bet it tastes amazing too.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
That is so beautifully decorated. I have never made a pineapple desert before - I must try this!
John | heneedsfood
Well your efforts with the lattice did pay off, despite your frustration. I bet you didn't swear once! The cake looks so moist with that almond meal and using pineapple jam would be so delicious.