Grilled Pound Cake with Pineapple “Salsa” and Tequila Whipped Cream

• Epicurious  | 2004  by Steven Raichlen  Raichlen’s Indoor! Grilling

yield: Makes 4 servings

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—the grill was the original toaster. And there’s nothing like a quick sizzle on the grill to transform ordinary pound cake into a singular, even extraordinary dessert. Especially when paired with a pineapple salsa and tequila-scented whipped cream.

3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon tequila (preferably gold)

8 slices pound cake (each 1/2 inch thick)

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Pineapple “Salsa”

4 fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Pineapple Salsa.

yield: Makes about 2 cups

This “salsa” is actually a sort of fruit salad, but it does contain the quintessential salsa ingredients, lime juice and jalapeño peppers. The jalapeños are certainly unexpected, but they have an interesting way of intensifying the sweetness of the pineapple.

2 cups fresh pineapple cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons thinly slivered fresh mint or lemon verbena

1 to 2 jalapeño peppers (preferably red), seeded and minced (for a hotter “salsa,” leave the seeds in)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste

1 tablespoon light brown sugar, or more to taste

Place the pineapple, mint, jalapeño(s), lime juice, and brown sugar in a nonreactive mixing bowl, but don’t mix them until 5 minutes before you are ready to serve. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice and/or brown sugar as necessary.

Variation:
Slivered mint keeps this “salsa” in the realm of a salad. If you really want to push the limits try substituting chopped fresh cilantro for the mint.

CONTACT GRILL:
Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the slices of pound cake on the hot grill, then close the lid. The pound cake will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes.

GRILL PAN:
Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the slices of pound cake in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.

BUILT-IN GRILL:
Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the pound cake slices on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.

FREESTANDING GRILL:
Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the pound cake slices on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.

FIREPLACE GRILL:
Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the pound cake slices on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.

TIP: The pound cake can be toasted on any sort of indoor grill. I’m partial to the grill pan, which gives you tack-sharp grill marks.