Dried pineapple flowers are a unique and eye-catching garnish that can take your cake or cupcakes up a notch.  When I first saw them I thought they must be difficult to make but in reality, they couldn’t be much easier.  Essentially all you do is slice pineapple very thin and bake slowly at a low heat to dry them out.  Check it out!

Slice off the top and bottom of the pineapple with a large sharp knife.

Cut off the rind.  (Naked pineapple – teehee!  I’m super mature today.)

Pop out any of the eyes or seeds that remain.  Most vegetable peelers have a special little point that is meant for things like this, but you can also use a small paring knife or measuring spoon, as I did.

Slice the pineapple very thinly so that the slices are almost translucent.  Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.  Bake at 225˚ F to dry them out slowly.  Timing will vary, but a good starting point is 30 minutes, flip and then 30 more minutes.  I have made them a couple times now and it has taken me a bit longer than that.  Just keep a close eye on them.  You can also increase the temperature slightly to speed up the process and deepen the color, but if you do be very careful to avoid burning them.

Once the slices are shrunken and almost completed dried out, transfer them to a muffin tin so that the edges curve upward in the shape of a flower.  I find it best to let them sit overnight this way to retain the flower shape.

Source: technique from Martha Stewart