Ingredients :

• Canned pineapple — Fresh pineapple is great at the market. Canned is perfect here — the slices are uniform, already tender, and you keep the juice for the batter. Choose ‘in natural juice’ rather than heavy syrup if you want to keep things balanced and not too sweet.
• Sugar for the caramel — Classic white sugar, nothing special. Dry caramel (without water) sets faster and gives a bolder, more fragrant result. If you’ve failed before, try with a tablespoon of water to have more control over the temperature rise.
• Softened butter — Softened means out for at least 30 minutes, not melted, not hard. If you press it with your finger, it should sink in without resistance. Butter that is still cold will give a grainy batter and a less melting crumb. This is the only real point of vigilance in this recipe.
• Glacé cherries — Not essential, but they are part of the tradition. They fit into the central hole of each slice and add a bright red dot to the amber caramel. You can find them in jars in the baking aisle of most supermarkets.