Have you seen anything prettier? These lovely little flowers are amazing. All of that detail like the dots in the center and the lines around it happens naturally when you dry the flowers. I think they're stunning, and I love to put them on hummingbird cupcakes and carrot cupcakes. Apparently they taste really good, too, although I would never try them because I'm not a fan of pineapple. So picky!
I'm not going to lie and say pineapple flowers are the easiest thing to make. However, they are not the hardest either. They just require a sharp knife and some time. As is true with most things, the more you make them, the easier they get (and the better you get at making them). So here we go.
I'm not going to lie and say pineapple flowers are the easiest thing to make. However, they are not the hardest either. They just require a sharp knife and some time. As is true with most things, the more you make them, the easier they get (and the better you get at making them). So here we go.
Here's what you need:
- Pineapple
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Small measuring spoon, paring knife, or veggie peeler
- Muffin tins
- Sheet trays lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
Cut the top off the pineapple and slice the rind off. The first time I did this, I sliced the rind off along with a lot of the pineapple. I highly recommend you don't do this. Instead of cutting straight down, follow the rind or you'll have some tiny flowers. You really don't want tiny flowers.
Use a small measuring spoon, small paring knife, or the point of a vegetable peeler to pop out the eyes/seeds on the pineapple.
Lay the pineapple on its side, and get ready to cut with your sharp knife.
Make extremely thin cuts through the pineapple. You should be able to see your knife through the slice (which is why you want it to be extremely sharp). Don't worry about having mistakes. There are a lot of my slices that were too thick or I only got half a slice. The more you do it, the better you'll get. Even my slices at the beginning were too thick but then better at the end of the pineapple.
If your pineapple is really ripe and juicy, you'll want to press the slices between towels before you place them on the baking sheets. What we're doing is drying out the pineapple, so any moisture you can get rid of before you dry them in the oven will speed up the process.
Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper.
Bake them at 225 degrees to slowly dry them out. Baking times vary, but you'll want to start with 30 minutes, then flip the slices over, and then bake for another 30 minutes. The slices should shrink and be almost completely dry. The little dots in the middle of the flower happen naturally when they dry.
If they aren't dry after the hour, bake them for 5-10 minute increments and keep a close eye on them so they don't get too brown.
Bake them at 225 degrees to slowly dry them out. Baking times vary, but you'll want to start with 30 minutes, then flip the slices over, and then bake for another 30 minutes. The slices should shrink and be almost completely dry. The little dots in the middle of the flower happen naturally when they dry.
If they aren't dry after the hour, bake them for 5-10 minute increments and keep a close eye on them so they don't get too brown.
Place the flowers in muffin tins so they curve like a flower and let them dry overnight so they retain their shape.
Print this tutorial
Source: From Annie's Eats/Martha Stewart
Print this tutorial
Source: From Annie's Eats/Martha Stewart
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