TWD: Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

This week’s Tuesdays With Dorie selection was Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise. I usually thank the week’s host at the end, but I want to give my express my gratitude to Andrea of Andrea in the Kitchen right away. I never would have given this recipe a second glance if I wasn’t in a baking group since: 1) on the chocolate spectrum, white chocolate is on the opposite end of my typical preference; 2) my boyfriend claims to not like coconut; and 3) the recipe is long and sounds like a lot of work. But now that I’ve made it, I know that white chocolate ganache is very delicious and Mr. Penpen seems officially convinced he likes coconut (at least in desserts). As for the recipe, it did take quite a bit of time, but unlike some other recipes that have sneakily taken over my weekends, I was cognizant that this one would be time-consuming and entered into this endeavor with a patient attitude. And really, none of the steps were that complicated.



I initially thought I would make a mini version, since I wasn’t sure we’d like it, but since I was going to be turning my oven on for three hours (since the temperature was so low, I even left the house and did errands while the dacquoise was baking) and hacking up a pineapple, I decided I may as well make the entire dessert and serve it to my boyfriend’s family for Father’s Day. I baked the dacquoise early Saturday morning, roasted the pineapple and started the ganache on Saturday evening, and finished the ganache and assembled the dessert on Sunday morning so it would be ready for lunch that afternoon. This recipe actually did not contain any butter, but it did contain three cups of heavy cream, which seemed a bit excessive for one dessert. I am a diligent reader of the problems and questions and the always-helpful Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs mentioned she had used Greek yogurt for some of hers. I thought that was a fantastic idea, so one of the layers that was meant to be white chocolate ganache was 2% Greek yogurt sweetened with honey. For the two-thirds of the ganache I did make, I used one cup of cream and one cup half-and-half. I used Guittard white chocolate for the ganache, which I wholeheartedly recommend. It melted beautifully, was quite tasty, and is more budget-friendly than Valrhona Ivoire, which was the other chocolate Dorie suggested. There happened to be a great review of it on Baking Bites the same day I bought it!



And, one of the best parts about this recipe is that it’s a real showstopper; I was quite pleased with myself for making such an exquisite dessert. I didn’t want anyone to see it before dessert, but I was happy Mr. Penpen’s mother did; when she saw it in the refrigerator, she told me that she likes to plan her meal portions accordingly when she knows there’s a good dessert – smart woman! Everyone I served the dacquoise to enjoyed it, making it a veritable success. This recipe rates a 9 for Deliciousness and a 4.5 for Effort, giving it an EDR of 2. You can find the recipe on Andrea’s site and see what the other bakers thought via the TWD blogroll.