Pickled Pineapple Meringue with Raspberry Sauce

This pickled pineapple meringue is a restaurant-trick dessert disguised as a home recipe. Cubes of pineapple get repeatedly poached in a sugar syrup with pink peppercorns, which infuses the fruit with a faint floral spice that lifts the natural sweetness without overpowering it.

The meringue is a frozen one (no oven involved). Stiff egg whites fold into whipped cream along with the pickled pineapple, slivered almonds, candied orange peel, and a glug of kirsch. Spread on a tray, frozen overnight, and cut into circles with a biscuit cutter, the meringue eats like an iced parfait with chewy fruit and crunchy almond bursts.

The chocolate spires are the showstopper. Melted semisweet chocolate gets thinly spread on a greased cookie sheet, chilled until hard, then cut into shard-like spire shapes with a hot knife. Three spires planted upright in each meringue circle make the plate look like dessert at a Michelin restaurant.

Pro Tips

• Repeat the pineapple poaching procedure four times as instructed. Each pass deepens the spice infusion and concentrates the fruit.
• Whip the egg whites and cream separately, then fold gently in two stages to keep the maximum volume.
• Cut chocolate spires with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Cold chocolate fractures cleanly only with a warm blade.
• Strain the raspberry sauce thoroughly to remove all seeds for a silky, glossy plate sauce.

Variations

• Swap pink peppercorns for a vanilla bean and a cinnamon stick for a sweeter, less spiced poaching liquid.
• Use strawberries or blackberries instead of raspberries for a different sauce color.
• Replace kirsch with rum or amaretto for a different boozy backbone.