Pineapple-Coconut Tart

This wonderful recipe, inspired by one from pastry chef François Payard, has the flavor of piña colada and is one of our favorites. You need a tart pan that comes apart. I often use ready-made pie dough, but not for this tart. This sweet tart dough is one of the secrets of its success. 

Ingredients

Sweet Tart Dough

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

Filling

A 20-ounce can of pineapple chunks (packed in juice, not syrup)

7 tablespoons softened butter

1 cup sugar

2½ cups (200 grams) unsweetened dried, shredded coconut

2 large eggs

Pinch confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift together the sugar, flour, and salt. Place butter in a food processor and process until soft (about 15 seconds). Pour dry ingredients over the butter, add the egg and process again, just until the dough forms a mass. Turn the dough onto the counter and divide into two parts. Shape into two discs and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or up until 24 hours. (You will only use one if you are making just one tart, but you may freeze the other for up to a month and make any tart with it—including the chocolate tart for which I posted recipe months ago).

Bring dough to room temperature. Drain the pineapple in a strainer. Roll out the tart dough onto the tart pan. Scatter the pineapple pieces over  the tart shell and freeze for a few minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed for one minute. Beat in the dried coconut and then each of the two eggs, one at a time. Spread the filling evenly over the pineapple in the tart shell.

Bake tart for 50 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. If not serving within two hours or so, refrigerate the tart. Bring it to room temperature and then dust with a bit of confectioner’s sugar before serving.