Vanilla Bean-Pineapple Tart
For this woven pie-dough pattern, the spacing of the strips is varied to create a seemingly complex geometric design that is actually no more difficult than a basic lattice. Rum-poached pineapple pieces peek out from beneath the open-weave crust.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes one 11-by-8-inch tart
Ingredients
For the Crust
For the Filling
Preparation
Step 1
Make the crust: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle with the ice water, and pulse until mixture just begins to hold together. Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Step 2
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough to a 12-by-9-inch rectangle, 1/8 inch thick. Place 1 rectangle on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate or freeze until firm, 30 minutes. Fit other rectangle into an 11-by-8-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim dough flush with rim. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 3
Make the lattice: Using a clean ruler as a guide, cut chilled rectangle into eighteen 1/2-inch-wide strips with a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Lay 9 strips of dough on another parchment-lined baking sheet in pairs of parallel lines slightly longer than tart pan. Starting in center, weave 1 new strip under and over strips on baking sheet. Weave a second strip 1/4 inch away, this time over, then under. Repeat, weaving pairs of strips across half of tart, spacing pairs 1 inch apart. (If strips become too soft, return to freezer until firm.) Return to center, and repeat with remaining strips to form lattice pattern. Freeze until ready to use.
Step 4
Make the filling: Cut each pineapple quarter crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Combine sugars, vanilla seeds and pod, and lemon juice in a large sauté pan. Add pineapple, and cook over medium heat, stirring until sugars dissolve and mixture becomes saucy, about 3 minutes. Add rum, and simmer until pineapple has softened and almost all liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan. Discard vanilla pod.
Step 5
Spread pineapple mixture evenly in shell. Combine yolk and cream, and brush along top edges of tart. Carefully slide frozen lattice onto tart, centering it; press edges to seal. Trim excess dough. Brush top of lattice with egg wash. Refrigerate or freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 6
Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer tart to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F, and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes more. (If crust browns too quickly, tent with foil.) Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
