Anncoo Journal - Come for Quick and Easy Recipes: Making Dried Pineapple Flowers

Hi everyone! I'm back after two full weeks off from blogging. Really nice to relax, doing nothing and enjoying myself visiting friends, reading books and watching TV during these lunar new year holidays. I didn't touch my oven until two days ago. Bought two sweet and juicy S&W pineapples from the Fairprice last week and made these incredibly easy, eye catching and unique Dried Pineapple Flowers. You can make these dried pineapple flowers one or two days ahead and decorate them on cupcakes or birthday cakes to impress your friends and family.

Making Dried Pineapple Flowers

Ingredients :

adapted from Martha Stewart

Half Fresh Pineapple, makes 9 or depends on how many flowers you want to make

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Line baking tray with a non-stick baking sheet.

Peel pineapple. Using a small melon baller, remove and discard eyes. (I just cut the pineapple skin from top to bottom along each row of eyes.) Don't try to cut off too much of the peel at once or you will take a lot of good fruit with it.

Then slice pineapple very thinly, place slices on baking sheet. Cook until tops look dried, about 30 minutes.

Flip slices, cook until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. (Mine almost burned after 20 minutes).

Transfer them to a small muffin pan or egg tray so that the edges curve upward in the shape of a flower. Then place them in the refrigerator uncovered overnight to dry up and retain the flower shape. Store the dried flowers in an airtight container after that.

Kitchen note:

As oven temperature varies, you've to monitor the baking process very carefully after the first 30 minutes.
Only place the pineapple flowers on cakes or cupcakes just before serving as they will absorb some of the moisture from the frosting and will wilt within an hour or sooner.
You can also refer to Taste.Com.Au (video) and Amelia's Dessert's creation on making dried pineapple flowers.