Grilled Cayenne Chocolate Dipped Pineapple (Kosher Connections Link Up, March 2013)

Would you believe me if I said I have never cooked with pineapple before?  My mother’s deathly allergy to this fruit kept it far from our home, perhaps even our block when I was growing up.  Pineapple happens to be my wife‘s favorite fruit so when I see a good looking pineapple at the store, I’ll remind myself that it isn’t poison and add it to the cart.  In brainstorming a wheat-free Passover dessert that didn’t stay too far from my Passover philosophy of Whole Food cooking, the idea for cayenne chocolate dipped pineapple was born.

I’m told that you know when a pineapple is ready by trying to pull out one of the middle leaves.  If the pineapple is sweet, the leaf will come out effortlessly.  If you have to tug it, give the pineapple a little more time to ripen.

With snow on the ground from the storm we had earlier in the month, I didn’t feel like grilling outdoors, so I used my griddle pan.  If you don’t have one, I’d strongly recommend buying one, and it doesn’t have to be a pricey the one I used.  Lodge make an excellent griddle and it costs less than $20.

Cayenne Chocolate Dipped Grilled Pineapple

You will need the following ingredients for eight slices of chocolate dipped pineapple:

• One pineapple
• 2 bars of bittersweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon coconut cream
• 6oz bag of white chocolate melts or white chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon of almond milk (or alternative)
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of coconut oil for cooking

Begin by melting your dark chocolate in a double boiler.  If you are using a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water, make sure the water does NOT touch the bowl – the hot water may cause the bowl to crack, which is I melted my second batch of chocolate in a metal bowl.  Stir in the coconut cream and cayenne pepper.  Mix gently until the chocolate has melted then lower the heat and allow it to sit above the gently steaming water, stir occasionally.

If you’re planning to cut the pineapple with a knife, buy one of these.  If you’re holding a beheaded pineapple in one hand and an iPad in the other, reading this recipe, all is not lost.  Cut the thick skin off the outside of the pineapple, slice the pineapple into rings.  Then slice  the rings in half, cut  out the core and place in a warm griddle.

Heat your griddle to a medium heat, melt one teaspoon of coconut oil so the pineapple slices don’t stick, then put them in the pan for six to eight minutes.  Once you have nice looking grill marks on one side, flip them and cook for a similar amount of time.

Remove the pineapple from the griddle and set on a cookie sheet, lined with a beloved silpat. Lining the cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper will make it much easier to remove them from the tray once the chocolate sets.  Allow the pineapple to cool to the point that you can touch it without burning your fingers.

Once you can hold the pineapple slices, dip half of each slice into the melted dark chocolate, then lay them back on the cookie sheet.  Once you have dipped all the slices in dark chocolate set them in the fridge and melt the white chocolate using the same method used for the dark chocolate, only use a teaspoon of almond milk (or alternative) rather than coconut cream.

Once your white chocolate has melted, drizzle over the dark chocolate, or if you’re feeling adventurous dip the other side of the pineapple in the white chocolate.  Set the chocolate dipped pineapple slices in the fridge for at least an hour, if not two, before removing them from the cookie sheet.

Store an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, and serve for dessert or with a cup of coffee.