Bruleed Pineapple Tart

Ingredients

• For Coconut Pâte Sucrée
• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 6 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 ounces fine, unsweetened coconut flakes
• 16 ounces all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1.2 ounces heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• For roasted pineapple:
• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ounce granulated sugar
• For pastry cream:
• 4.5 ounces granulated sugar, divided
• 1 ounce corn starch
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 pint whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Additional granulated sugar for the brulee

Directions

1. Sift the flour and keep it nearby. In a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter with the sugar on high speed until the mixture is pale and airy, about 8 minutes, pausing often to clean off the bowl and paddle. Beat in the egg and the yolk 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Give the bowl and paddle 1 more scrape, then run the mixer on high speed for a final thorough mix. Add the coconut and give it 1 last quick mix on high speed. Turn the mixer off. Add the flour, salt, cream, and vanilla, then mix on low speed just until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Use a large rubber spatula to bring it together by hand at the end. Split the dough into 2 flat, round disks about 4-inches across. Wrap each disk tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. For the pastry cream, wet a sheet tray just enough to help the plastic cling, then fit plastic wrap across the base and up the sides. Leave the plastic wrap roll nearby, and set the tray aside. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the starch with half the sugar until evenly combined. Whisk in the eggs and yolks until the color turns pale yellow, about 2 minutes of steady whisking. Set this aside. In a medium saucepan, stir together half the sugar, the milk, and the salt. Put the pan over medium heat and warm it until it reaches a simmer. Temper the egg mixture by adding the hot milk 1/4 cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Return everything to the pot and whisk over low heat. As it thickens, keep whisking. If lumps appear, whisk right through them until the pastry cream smooths out. Once it starts to bubble, continue whisking for 2 additional minutes, then take it off the heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until both melt into the cream. Spread the pastry cream onto the lined sheet, then lay another piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Let it come to room temperature. Move it to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
3. When baking is 1 hour away, roll the dough on a generously floured surface until it is just under 1/4-inch thick. Drape the dough over the rolling pin, then unfurl it gently across the tart pan. Ease the dough into the pan so it takes the shape of the shell, then trim away the extra, keeping 1/4-inch of overhang. Refrigerate it for 1 hour.
4. Move a rack to the center of the oven, then heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Set a silicone baking mat inside a sheet tray. Coat both sides of the pineapple pieces with butter, then sprinkle them with sugar. Roast for approximately 40 minutes, turning the pineapple often, until the edges take on a little caramel color. Take the tray out, gently loosen the pineapple with a spatula so it does not stick, and let it cool.
5. Move a rack to the center of the oven, then heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take the tart shell from the fridge, trim the extra dough from the rim, and use excess dough to mend any thin spots or cracks. Fit foil inside the shell and add weights or beans. Put the tart on the bottom rack of the hot oven, centered on the rack. Bake for 20 minutes, turning the pan at the halfway point. Lift out the foil along with the weights, then bake again until the base is golden brown, about 15-20 additional minutes. Let the shell cool completely before you remove it from the pan or fill it.
6. When it is time to serve, use the stand mixer paddle to beat the pastry cream on high speed until smooth and creamy. Choose the 4 prettiest pineapple rounds and reserve them. Cut the remaining rounds into 1/2 inch pieces. Scatter those pieces across the cooled shell's bottom. Spread the whipped pastry cream above the fruit, leaving a few centimeters of space for the reserved pineapple rounds. Set the rounds into the top and press until the fruit and cream lie flat. Cover the top with sugar, then brulee it so the sugar burns and caramelizes. Serve right away.