Made of oven-dried pineapple, these edible embellishments add crunch and color to our Hummingbird Cake.

Dried Pineapple Flowers

pineapples

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper.

Peel pineapples. Using a small melon baller, remove and discard "eyes." Slice pineapple very thinly; place slices on baking sheets. Cook until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; cook until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

So I tried to use a Mandoline, didn't work, so sliced as thin as I could.
Did 225 on Covection Bake, for about 2 hours, turning every half hour.
Put into muffin tins and left to dry overnight.
Put back in the oven next morning at same temp, baked for another 30 mins.
Turned out GREAT!! Dry, crispy, with yellowy brown color, Very Nice.

Thank you for the great idea! 
I used it to decorate a birthday-cake for my grandmother &amp; aunt, It was just delicious in combination with the dark chocolate!

I saw on another website a cute idea for this;
instead of baking between sheets they tucked the pineapple slices into muffin tins, so when they bake the edges curl up like a real flower!

(see beginning of this post) 
whereas the ones in the oven got a little light light browning on their edges. Turns out, I like them both ways to add dimension to the flowers when positioned on the cake. Anyway, it is the meat slicer that is key.

Okay – I did this today, and after reading the problems everyone was having at other sites trying to do this, I tried using a meat slicer to get the paper thin slices…worked perfectly. I then tried doing them in the oven at 225* and checked them every 15 min. It took 1 hour for them to get just perfect. I also did some at the same time in my electric dehydrator. Although it took all day long for them to get dry in the dehydrator, they turned out more true yellow with no browning...cont'd next

Two tips to making pretty pineapple flowers 

slice them a little larger then 1/8'' then lay them flat on a cutting board and shave the top off with a sharp bread knife.
once their 1/8" or smalller comb them with a serrated kife starting from the center and combing out carefully to the ends then lay them on a paper towel before going in the oven
works great!

Approximately, how thin do you slice the pineapple?  1/8 inch?  1/4?

I solved the "drying out" problem by baking the pineapple slices on cake cooling racks placed over a cookie sheet lined with foil. Turn over after 30 minutes and continue turning

I solved the "drying out" problem by baking the pineapple slices on cake cooling racks placed over a cookie sheet lined with foil.  Turn over after 30 minutes and continue turning

These take PATIENCE to make, and don't expect to be able to make them and decorate your cake the same day--it sometimes takes DAYS for these to dry perfectly. I used a food dehydrator, too, because the oven just made them too brown before they got dry. Slice THINLY, mop them off with paper towels before you put them in to dry, and alternate between the dehydrator and 15 minute stints in a warm oven to get them perfectly dry. Well worth the effort--they're beautiful!

These pineapple flowers do look stunning,but I agree with previous writers that they take an age to dry out.I managed to slice the pineapple thinly (thick bits were a chefs treat - yummy).Mine were in the oven for over two hours and left out in the kitchen over night.They are certainly drier,but not as dry as I had expected, with many still sticky and tacky.

I DID THIS, CAME OUT GREAT. I MADE BOTH THE CAKE AND THE CUPCAKES... IT WAS FOR THE "FALL SEASON - BABY BIRD SHOWER". SINCE, IT WAS A "FALL SEASON" I USE GROUND CINNAMON ON THE TOP OF THE FROSTING BEFORE I PUT THE DRIED PINEAPPLE FLOWERS.  AND USE THE REAL "FALL FLOWERS" AROUND THE CAKE/CUPCAKES (ON THE TABLE) TO LOOK MORE ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL! YUMMY!

NOTE:   WOULDNT THESE BE BEAUTIFUL ON TOP A FRUIT SALAD. YUMMMM

WHEN I SAW THE CAKE WITH THE 'FLOWERS' I THOUGHT THEY WERE REAL FLOWERS.  SO I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THIS RECIPE.  THANKS MARTHA

I just made these using a food dehydrator set at the maximum temperature (115 degrees).  They look just like the picture above and taste amazing!  It took about 2 - 2.5 hrs to dry.  I used a ripe (but not too ripe) pineapple and sliced it thinly with a knife.  I tried the food dehydrator right away based on the other comments.

The key to making these is to use pineapples that are not ripe...less juice means they hold together better when slicing and dry out faster. They do not taste as good, but it is the visual we are going for anyway...

I tried these and, like everyone else......not good. I even used a mandolin and the pineapple wouldn't slice thin. It just turned into a juicy shredded mess. So, I went back to slicing. I have some very sharp knives and sliced as thin as I could without again, making a shredded mess. They are in the oven now......much longer than the recipe said and they are still not dry.   I am going to get an inexpensive dehydrator and see if that works better.

MSL must have used a mandolin/slicer to cut the pineapple.  By the time mine were dry they were brown.  Very disappointing because in the photo they are beautiful.  Lots of time and work wasted for a few ugly brown "flowers".  My advice is to skip this one.

I also agree. I made the hummingbird cake several years ago, and these flowers were almost a disatster. The cake is delicious, though.  But practice days in advance with the pineapple.

I agree these take forever to dry - I've had some in the oven for 5 hours and they still are not dried.  I had to go out so I turned off oven and left them in hoping when I got back they would be not - not - I'm quite disappointed as I sliced as thin as I could.  Perhaps it would be better to do these in a dehydrater?

These take a VERY  long time to dry out...I added another 40 mins in the oven on top of what has been suggested.  Left them in an egg carton overnight on the countertop, and STILL are not dried out!
I would suggest that if planning to make these, you make them DAYS in advance.  Definitely not something you want to start the day before or day of serving.

dried pineapple flowers

Servings: 2

Cost: $3.50 /serving

Author : Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Instructions

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