In the north of Eleuthera Island in the Crooked Island district, the pineapple industry is booming and most of the production is taken up locally for eating and drinking purposes. Pineapples aren’t only delicious, they’re extremely healthy and contain calcium, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, manganese, (a trace mineral needed to build bone and connective tissue) and also contains Bromelain that  helps to suppress coughs and loosen mucus. In addition it is low in fat and cholesterol. Bear in mind that the tourist industry is booming which also has an enormous effect on pineapple consumption. 

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet shortcrust pastry
• 1 medium pineapple
• 45 g unsalted butter
• 100 g caster sugar
• 50 ml tbsp dark rum
• 220 g mascarpone cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 30 g plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
• Roll the pastry out to line a 27 cm tart tin.
• Prick the base, then chill for at least 45 mins.
• Blind bake the pastry for 12 minutes by weighting with dried beans and then removing the beans and baking for another 10 minutes or until just dry.
• Slice the top and the base of the pineapple, cut it into eight long wedges, from top to bottom.
• Cut the tough core out of each wedge and slice the wedges.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming.
• Add the pineapple pieces and fry for about three minutes.
• Sprinkle over 80 g sugar and pour in the rum.
• Stir, allow to heat briefly, then slowly tilt the pan towards the flame, or light with a match.
• Let the flames flare up then die down.
• Cook for 3-4 mins longer until the juices are reduced to a thick rich syrup.
• Cool slightly, then lift the pineapple out and arrange in the pastry case.
• Reserve the syrup.
• To make the filling, whisk the mascarpone with all the filling ingredients, including the last of the sugar and the syrup left from the pineapple.
• Pour over the pineapple.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until the filling has just set.
• Dust with icing sugar and serve.