Coconut Custard Tart with Roast Pineapple is a traditional South African recipe for a classic cheesecake finished with caramelised caster sugar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South African version of: Coconut Custard Tart with Roast Pineapple.
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Queen pineapples in South Africa are quite delicious and this New Year’s Eve pie is a celebration of the fruit. Roast pineapple is used as a topping for a creamy coconut custard tart. Note that though this dessert was designed as a festive centrepiece it can be served at any time and goes well with ice cream. It’s as happy being served at a braai (barbecue) as at a dinner party. Pineapple is also believed to be a lucky fruit, its golden colour reminiscent of gold and the engendering wealth, so by serving pineapple to your guests at New Year's Eve you're wishing them wealth and happiness for the forthcoming year.
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
300g (2/3 lb) plain flour, plus a little for dusting
150g (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into small pieces
75g (3/8 cup) caster sugar
2 egg yolks, plus 1 beaten egg
For the coconut custard
400ml (1 2/3 cups) double (heavy) cream
2 x 160ml (1 1/3 cups total) tins coconut cream
3 eggs, plus 2 yolks
75g (3/8 cup) caster sugar
fresh nutmeg, finely grated
For the pineapple
1 small pineapple
4 tbsp light brown soft sugar
2 tbsp rum (or use lime juice if serving to children)
fresh nutmeg, finely grated
small handful toasted coconut shavings, optional
Method:
Combine the flour and butter pieces in a bowl then rub together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolks and 1-2 tbsp cold water, then mix until the dough starts to form clumps. Tip onto your work surface and knead a few times to bring any crumbs into the dough. Shape into a puck, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins.
Heat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/360°F/gas mark 4) and put a baking tray on the middle shelf to warm up. Roll out the dough on a flour-dusted surface to line the base and sides of a 23cm (9 in) diameter fluted tart tin. Drape it over a rolling pin and lift into the tin, keeping an overhang of about 1cm. Press into the corners, leaving no gaps. Save the pastry scraps.
Line the tart case with parchment and tip in baking beans or rice. Transfer to the baking tray in your oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment. Check for holes and patch them with the reserved scraps. Return to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes more to give it a nutty brown colour. Brush with the beaten egg and return to the oven for 2 more minutes. While still warm, use a serrated knife to trim the pastry to the height of the tin. Set aside to cool then reduce the oven temperature to 140°C (120C fan/285°F/gas mark 1).
Combine the cream and coconut cream in a saucepan and heat until just steaming. Meanwhile, whisk the whole eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale. Pour the hot cream over the eggs, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Pour through a sieve into a jug.
Put the tart case on the baking tray in the oven, with the shelf pulled out. Pour in the custard, using up as much as you can. Generously sprinkle nutmeg over the top and bake for 50-55 minutes until the custard is set with a little wobble when gently shaken. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cold, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours, or up to two days.
When ready to cook the pineapple, heat your oven to 240°C (220°C fan/450°F/gas mark 8). Peel it using a bread knife to carve away the skin, then cut into four wedges and remove the core. Slice lengthways into long slivers. Arrange over a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Mix together the sugar, rum (or lime juice) and a grating of nutmeg, then paint this over the pineapple. Place in your oven and bake for 10 mins, or until caramelised.
Serve warm with the cold tart. If desired, garnish with lightly-toasted coconut shavings.
