Food52
When I used to work in an art museum, one of our favorite haunts for pau hana – after work – cocktails was the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. There are many reasons people flock to the Waikiki Beach landmark, also known as “the Pink Palace” (it is pink), with its storied and celebrity filled past; however, we went there for the Mai Tais. Sweet and tasty, with a sneaky kick, these made for a serious happy hour. These were the inspiration for my tart. Cradled in a simple, sweet pastry crust is a citrus (orange, blood orange and lime) and rum curd, with slow roasted (rum-macerated) pineapple layered on top. A slice of this is sure to cure your blues, winter or otherwise. Happily, unlike the drink, you can have more than one slice and not have to worry about how you are getting home. A few notes: First, the slightly pink color of the curd. This is from the blood orange. So, if you want a less pink curd, you could just use navel orange juice. Given my inspiration (the Pink Palace), I did not mind the pink color. Second, I will admit that this tart takes a bit of time to get together. However, if you make the pastry crust while your pineapple is macerating, then let your dough rest while your pineapple is roasting, most of your work is done as the crust cooks quickly and the curd comes together without much hassle. You can enjoy a real Mai Tai while you wait for the tart to set up in the fridge.