HOW TO MAKE A DRIED PINEAPPLE FLOWER GARNISH

How to Make a Dried Pineapple Flower Garnish image

Paper-thin pineapple slices, oven-dried into yellow-flower perfection. Decorate your next cake with these cuties and cue the oohs and aahs!

Provided by Kare for Kitchen Treaty

Time 1h55m

Number Of Ingredients 1

Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple (less ripe is best if you can find one!)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet or two with parchment paper.
Cut off the top and the bottom of the pineapple. Trim off the peel - just a thin layer, leaving the eyes.
Grab a carrot peeler or a paring knife, and using the end of the peeler or the tip of the knife, cut out all of the little "eyes" on the pineapple.
With a sharp knife, cut paper-thin slices of pineapple - as thin as you can. If you can see your knife through the slice of pineapple while cutting, you're doing it right! *This step is crucial. If your layers are too thick, your pineapples won't dry properly and you'll end up with soggy, sad flower attempts.
Place slices on a layer of paper towels and blot the tops with more paper towels, extracting as much juice as possible.
Lay the pineapple slices in a single layer on the parchment. They can be close to one another, but not touching or overlapping.
Cook for 30 minutes and turn over. Cook for another 30 minutes. Check the pineapple slices - they're done when they're dry and the center may be a smidge tacky, but not damp at all. If they're not there yet, keep baking them, flipping every 15 minutes, until they're dry.
Remove the pineapple flowers from the oven and carefully place them in a muffin tin. Once they cool, they'll retain that flower shape.
To store, keep your pineapple slices on a wire rack or in the muffin cups (as long as plenty of air can circulate) at room temperature for up to 3 days before serving. Don't place them in an airtight container or refrigerate them - they need air circulation to retain their shape and stay nice and dry.
Arrange on cupcakes or cake however you like!