Pineapple Tarts

Let us take 5 seconds to look at these beauties and imagine the goodness stirring inside your mouth. Pineapple tarts are one of the most anticipated snack when it comes to the Lunar New Year followed by Kueh Bangkit (melt-in-your-mouth coconut cookies). Making Pineapple tarts is actually a pain in the ass because you have to make so much dough to accommodate the pineapple jam. But the end result is worth all that pain. We made around 3 batches of pineapple tarts and worked from 3pm all the way to 8pm. Our small kitchen table became the heart of the process and each of us were given a job to do. I make up the dough while my aunts did the topping and my grandmother rolled the jam, while my mom brushed the tarts. My hand smelled exactly like butter for the around 3 days after that.

Pineapple Tarts

Ingredients:

180g Plain flour

20g Corn flour

40g Icing sugar

1 Egg yolk (lightly beaten with 1 tbsp ice water, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)

150g Cold butter

1/2 tsp Salt

500g Pineapple Jam (store bought) ~ roll into a small ball about 8g each

Method:

1. In a large bowl, sift in plain flour, corn flour and icing sugar, mix well. Cut in butter and rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Make a well in a center, pour in beaten egg yolk with water and vanilla extract and bind the ingredients to a soft dough. (do not over knead) Add a little extra flour if dough is too soft.

3. Put dough in the fridge for 20-30 mins to firm up. Remove pastry from fridge. Roll pastry between two plastic sheets to about 5mm thickness, cut into shape with a pineapple tart mold and place in a greased lined baking tray and fill the center of tart with pineapple jam. Brush pastry with egg wash.

4. Bake for 15-20mins or till pastry turn golden brown at preheated oven 175C.

5. Cool tarts on wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Link: Last year

Happy Lunar New Year!