Fresh Pineapple Pie

This may sound weird to some, but trust me.  If you like pineapple, you will love this pie.  It is amazing.  This is yet another King Arthur Flour recipe that I got from my mom, and I will be forever grateful.  


I am unsure as to whether or not canned pineapple would work, but there's only one way to find out, huh?  Don't be intimidated by having to break down the pineapple. It is really quite simple.  With a sharp knife, cut off the very top and very bottom of the pineapple.  Then, stand up the pineapple and cut the skin off.  For chunks, lay the skinned pineapple on it's side and slice it, then cut the slices into chunks, making sure to throw away the core.  See?  Easy.  Or, you could just buy fresh pineapple already broken down from the grocery store.  But that would be cheating.


On cooking the pie, the recipe says about an hour.  I have never cooked this pie for an hour. It takes my pies at least an hour and 40 minutes.  The key is (and this is incredibly important), the very center of the pie HAS to bubble.  If not, the center will not be done and you will have a raw, runny, starchy center of your pie.  Just cover the pie loosely with a piece of tin foil to prevent over browning, and it should be just fine.


Fresh Pineapple Pie


Pastry for a 2-crust pie


Filling:
3 cups (26 ounces, 1 large) fresh pineapple, cut in bite sized chunks
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1 ounce) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Garnish:
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
Demerara sugar
Nutmeg, ground or freshly grated


Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate, and fit the bottom crust into the pan.  Preheat the oven to 425F.


For the filling, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt.  Add the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and whisk until combined.  Place half of the pineapple in the lined pie plate.  Pour half of the filling mixture over it.  Layer the remaining pineapple on top, then pour the rest of the filling mixture over the pineapple.  With the top layer of pie dough, make a lattice crust over the top of the pie and crimp the edges .  Brush with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the demerara sugar and nutmeg.


Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes.  Check after 40 minutes, and place a piece of tin foil loosely over the top to prevent over browning, if necessary.  The pie is done when you see the filling bubbling in the center.  Remove pie from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  Makes 1 pie, 8 servings.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy