I came into work a little later today, my husband was travelling, and I needed to get the kids off to school.  I like to be the first person at work in my area, with only the security guards wandering around – and when I am not, it usually throws off my entire day.  This morning, when I finally did get in, everyone was there, and my boss mentioned that she had donuts in her office.  It is not often that we have sweet treats like that in the morning, and I figured it would be nice to have with my tea. It turns out, one of my co-workers went to a new donut shop near her house and brought them in for all of us to try.  These were no ordinary donuts, they were basically like cupcakes in the shape of donuts.  I cut off a tiny taste of about 4 kinds, and they just about did me in for the rest of the day.  The universe was already a bit off by me coming in so late, but those donuts were just too much…talk about over the top.  I was craving fruit for the rest of the day – which if you know me, does not happen very often.

I grew up in a house that was against fruit for some reason.  My grandmother pushed fruit on my mother to the extreme, so in revolt, my mother banned it from the house.  Ok, not exactly, but I swear I can hardly ever remember seeing it when I was growing up.  On the other hand, when I would visit my grandmother, it was a course at every meal.  Don’t forget the fruit!  My husband has had to train me over the years to purchase fruit for the house – he sometimes will make a special trip to the market just so there is enough, and it always has to be fresh.  My girls love fruit – especially berries – so I am definitely the outlier of the house when it comes to this part of the food pyramid.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I thought my family would be proud of me.  It would satisfy my need to make something, but in the end, we are talking about fresh fruit.  It was certainly a big hit – I loved the yogurt on the side – the pineapple was so sweet, it was a welcome accompaniment.  I didn’t end up pouring more syrup on the top, because it didn’t need it.  I ended up using the extra syrup on top of the extra plain yogurt – delicious.  So – if you are in the mood for something sweet, and want to feel like you are being healthy – here is the perfect dessert for you.  Then you can wake up the next morning and stop for a red velvet donut…

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with  parchment paper. Stir first 3 ingredients in a large bowl until sugar dissolves.  Add pineapple; toss to coat.  Let marinate, tossing occasionally, for 10  minutes. Place pineapple, one flat side down, on prepared sheet; reserve  marinade.

Roast pineapple for 15 minutes. Turn, brush with marinade, and  roast until tender and caramelized, 10–15 minutes. Drizzle remaining marinade  over; let cool slightly.

Divide pineapple among plates. Spoon crème fraîche alongside.  Garnish with nuts and mint.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Roasted Pineapple with Honey and Pistachios