Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 1½oz sweet shortcrust pastry
• 1 medium pineapple
• 45g/1-1½oz unsalted butter
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 50ml/3½ tbsp dark rum
• 220g/8oz mascarpone cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 30g/1oz plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• icing sugar (optional)

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Roll the pastry out to line a 27cm/11in tart tin. Prick the base
• then chill for at least half an hour.
• Blind bake the pastry for 12 minutes by lining the pastry with clingfilm and weighting with dried beans.
• Remove the beans and the cling film and bake for another eight minutes to dry out.
• Slice the top and the base of the pineapple
• and cut it into eight long wedges
• from top to bottom.
• Cut the tough core out of each wedge
• then slice the wedges. Melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming.
• Add the pineapple pieces and fry for about three minutes. Then sprinkle over 80g/3oz 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.