My all-time favorite pie. A flaky, buttery, and tender crust with jam-like caramelized pineapple filling. Absolutely delicious.
Place flour and salt into your mixer's bowl and stir to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add chilled butter pieces one at a time. Once all butter is added and flour mixture looks crumbly, add shortening pieces in the same manner.
With mixer still running at low speed, drizzle water in. Mix just until dough comes together.
Gather dough, pressing together with your hands. Place onto plastic wrap and form into a rectangular or round disk (depending on what pie/tart pan shape you are using). Wrap well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Place pineapple (with its juice), sugar, and salt in medium-sized pan and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat to low or medium-low and cook for 35 minutes making sure to keep at a gentle boil. Stir occasionally.
In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water. Add to pineapple and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add butter and stir to melt. Turn off heat and set aside to cool to near room temperature before adding to pie crust.
To roll dough, lay a piece of parchment or wax paper on counter. Sprinkle liberally with flour. Flour rolling pin also. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Place one half back in the fridge. Roll to desired pan shape to about 1/8 inch in thickness. Make sure to roll wide/long enough to come up sides of pan. If sticking, sprinkle lightly with additional flour. Place dough (still on parchment/wax paper) onto a large baking sheet and place in the freezer for 5 minutes. This will help to keep it from falling apart when you transfer it to your tart pan or pie plate.
Remove from freezer and lifting dough gently, place into tart/pie pan easing the edges into place (I flip mine upside down onto the pan while still attached to the parchment paper). Cut away any excess dough. If it tears, just press back into place as best you can.
Add the room temperature pineapple filling and spread evenly. Place in refrigerator while rolling top crust.
Remove second crust from refrigerator and roll to 1/8 inch thickness as in step 1. Use as a whole crust, cut long strips for lattice top, or cut out decorations with cookie cutters. Place on top of filling.
Refrigerate tart/pie for 25 minutes (or freeze for 10 minutes). Remove from fridge and brush crust pieces only with egg wash, if desired. To make egg wash, mix egg and water together.
Place tart on a baking sheet and bake on oven's middle rack in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.
Dough may be made and refrigerated up to 5 days ahead or frozen for 1 month.
This recipe yields enough dough for 1 tart/pie with a double crust or 2 tarts with a single crust. Dough may be easily doubled.
1 (20 oz) can of crushed pineapple in pineapple juice can be substituted for 1 fresh pineapple. However, in my opinion, fresh pineapple results in deeper flavors and better caramelization.
Store at room temperature.