Fresh Pineapple Tatin

 This is the ultimate best Fresh Pineapple Tatin ever.  It was a lucky accident.  I bought a fresh pineapple over the weekend. I was suppose to have gone to a party, but did not make it back on time to take the Fruit basket that I was going to make. So, I am stuck with a fresh pineapple. The weather is very cooperative - cool.  I decided to make the Puff Pastry that I have not touched for a long time since June.  Everything went very smoothly. I followed the regular Tarte Tatin recipe from our culinary class.  Instead of apples I used Fresh Pineapple.  I was very careful not to over caramelized in the saute pan.   Remembering that once it goes in the oven, it will get browned some more.
I am very pleased with the turn out. My puff pastry is PUFFED.  It was well worth the time waiting - benching the dough after each roll. The taste was delicious and loved the crunchy layers of the puff pastry. I wished there is a way to serve this pastry without sacrificing the "puffiness". What I mean is that - once the pastry has completed its baking, it is inverted out to a serving dish. The whole entire 4 inches of PUFFED pastry is then flattened. That's the way it is supposed to be, but I would love to see the puffiness stay puffed up. There are other recipes such as Napoleon, Cream Horns, Patty Shells, etc.  But, I think I know what I want to try with the rest of my Puff Pastry dough waiting for action in the refrigerator. Maybe I can bake a separate layer of puff dough. Then, place it on top of the finished Tatin after it has been inverted -- like a sandwiched tatin. What do you think? Or an individual small 4" Tatin, roll out two puff pastry dough, one with a hole in the middle. Then, after the baking, place the extra baked puff pastry with hole in the center on top of the finished Tatin. Nope, the puff patty shell is the same idea and easier . . . all right, Palmiers, Pinwheels, and Puff Pastry Tart Shell for Blueberries on the Cloud.

Asian Pear Tatin

Weather in Sacramento this week, due to the full moon, has been quite 'welcomingly' cool.  It also means that my kitchen is cool enough at 79'F for me to handle 1 lb of butter block for the Puff Pastry!  Yes! The last time I prepared the Puff Pastry was in the early June.  Practicing what I learned in the class to make the beautiful and wonderful, amazing Puff Pastry - Tarte Tatin, Almond-Apple Diamond, Fruit Strips, and Palmiers.  All so wonderful, but the hot kitchen is not what butter block likes.  Finally, today, I made Fresh Pineapple Tatin as a test and Asian Pear Tatin.  Pineapple Tatin is one pastry that I remember and savour the taste since I was child.  There is only one place in Japan, back then, bakes them - Fujiya Bakery at Tachikawa.  I never saw the pastry made anywhere else that I've been to.  Even in the State, I have never came across once like the ones I had.  But today, I made both Pineapple Tatin and Asian Pear Tatin.  Haven't decided what to do with the rest of the puff pastry dough, yet.

I am very happy to share this photo journal as the butter block cooperated quite well throughout the process.  So, here it is my photo journal of Asian Pear Tatin.