TWD: Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

This week's TWD was chosen by Andrea of Andrea in the Kitchen: coconut-roasted pineapple dacquoise! I love both coconut and pineapple so I thought this would probably be quite tasty! That said, it's a time consuming recipe (the meringue component alone bakes for 3 hours) and Dorie warns that the meringue does not like humidity and it's been raining here for what feels like all of June so I was on the fence about making this one. In the end, I had all the components on hand so I figured why not scale the recipe way back (I made 1/4) and give it a shot! Of course, I waited until the last minute to make that decision hence the late post today so let's get to it.

There are 3 main components to this dessert and they're all pretty easy in their own right. First, there's the meringue which is made by combining whipped egg whites and a coconut/almond/sugar mixture. The meringue is spread into rectangles and baked for 3 hours, during which time the rectangles become golden and crisp. The second component is pineapple, which is cut into wedges and then broiled. I decided, instead, to use my kitchen torch to speed this process up and it worked perfectly. Finally, there's the ganache, which is simply a combination of white chocolate and whipping cream that is chilled and then whipped until light and fluffy.

The dacquoise is assembled by layering the components. One of the meringue rectangles is laid down, then topped with the ganache and some of the pineapple wedges. That process is repeated two more times. To finish the dacquoise, the remaining ganache is spread around the sides of the cake and garnished with toasted coconut. Unfortunately, once you've got this beautiful cake assembled, you can't dig in because Dorie recommends chilling it for at least 4 hours before serving.

My 4 hour countdown just finished a few minutes ago and my mom had stopped by after work so I had her taste the dacquoise with me. I think it's safe to say that we are absolutely smitten with this dessert! Wow, was it ever good! My favorite component was the ganache but I also loved the way the pineapple and coconut worked together. I loved it so much that it makes me a bit disappointed I only made 1/4 of the recipe. The tropical flavors are perfect for summer so I know I'll be making this treat again before too long!

Thanks to Andrea for a really surprising pick this week - we loved it! You can find the recipe on her blog and check out the other cakes this week by visiting TWD!