- 3/4 cup salted macadamia nuts (about 3 ounces)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 cups diced (1/4 inch) cored peeled fresh pineapple (labeled “extra sweet”)
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Special equipment: 12 (2- to 2 1/2-inch) metal pie plates or a mini-muffin pan with 12 (1/8-cup) cups; an offset metal spatula
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Toast nuts in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan in oven, stirring once or twice, until golden, about 5 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup nuts and set aside.
- Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped, then add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and process until dough begins to come together into a ball but is still crumbly. Form dough into a ball with your hands. Press about 1 tablespoon dough evenly over bottom and up side of each pie plate. Chill shells until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Lightly prick bottoms and sides of chilled pie shells all over with a fork.
- Bake until edges are golden and bottoms are pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Cool completely in pans on racks. Loosen edges of shells carefully with offset spatula, then carefully remove shells from pans and transfer to a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts into bottoms of shells. Leave oven on.
- Simmer butter, pineapple, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated and pineapple is slightly translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Cool slightly, then spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into each shell.
- Beat whites with cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Spoon about 2 tablespoons meringue over filling of each pie, covering filling completely and sealing meringue to pastry.
- Draw meringue up into small peaks and bake until tops are golden in spots, about 5 minutes.
- Cool pies on racks, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.