PINA COLADA MERINGUE TART

SERVES 8

Begin this recipe at least 3 hours ahead. You will need a kitchen blowtorch.

1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour

50g dessicated coconut

½ cup (60g) pure icing sugar, sifted

125g cold unsalted butter, chopped

1 egg yolk

1 cup (250ml) coconut cream

150g caster sugar

1½ titanium-strength gelatine leaves

150ml pure (thin) cream

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

PINEAPPLE JAM

700g (about 1 small) ripe pineapple, peeled, chopped

2 cups (440g) caster sugar

½ cup (125ml) rum

Zest and juice of 2 limes

ITALIAN MERINGUE

165g caster sugar

3 eggwhites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

To make pastry, place flour, coconut and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add butter and rub in until fine crumbs. Add egg yolk and 2 tbs iced water, and mix to combine. Knead lightly to combine, then bring together in a ball. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use to line base and side of a 24cm loose-based fluted tart pan, trimming excess. Line with baking paper and pastry weights, then place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove weights and paper, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and dry. Set aside to cool.

For the jam, place pineapple, sugar, rum and lime zest in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until golden and reduced. Remove from heat and stir through lime juice. Set aside to cool, then spread over cooled tart base.

To make coconut layer, place coconut cream and caster sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Soak gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes to soften, then squeeze out excess water. Bring coconut cream to just below boiling and add gelatine, stirring until dissolved. Stir through cream and vanilla. Pour over pineapple jam and chill for 3 hours or until set.

When ready to serve, make Italian meringue (see ‘Cherry pie bombe Alaska recipe’ p 123 – reduce amount of water used to 150ml). Spread over tart with a palette knife. Caramelise top of tart with a kitchen blowtorch and serve immediately.