Pineapple Tarts Recipe 黄梨挞

Recipe from Spoonful Chinese Cooking Instructor Cai Li

With the Chinese New Year around the corner, you can find pineapple tarts just about everywhere in Singapore or Malaysia. Every bakery that churns them out is claiming that its tarts are the best. But I found out today these melt-in-mouth homemade tarts with buttery crumbly pastry and fresh homemade pineapple jam are the BEST I’ve had so far. It calls for simple and fresh ingredients with minimized use of sugar. No preservatives added at all.

Makes 90-100 pieces  

Wrappers

• 510g                    plain flour/all purpose flour 中筋面粉
• 350g                   unsalted butter
• 100g                    condensed milk 炼乳
• 2 egg yolks       room temperature
• 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon milk to make the egg wash

Homemade pineapple filling (pineapple jam)

• 3             ripe pineapples
• 250g      granulated sugar 白砂糖

Method

Step 1  make pineapple filling/jam

1. Peel the pineapples. Cut away some of the core but not totally remove it (By leaving a small part of the core so the jam has some bites in.) Cut into small cubes.
2. Put 1/4 of the pineapples into a blender till it becomes puree (do not add water). Do the same with the rest of the pineapple cubes.
3. Sift the pineapple puree so to remove some of the juices. Don’t throw the juices away – the byproduct makes a couple of glasses of good fruit juice.
4. Cook sifted the pineapple puree in a wok or saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes till juice almost evaporates.
5. Now add in sugar. The mixture will turn watery again after sugar added. Continue stirring with a wooden spatula for about 15 minutes till it becomes a thick paste.
6. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 60 minutes. Stir from time to time to avoid burning. It is ready when the jam is able to stick on the wooden spatula.
7. Scoop out the pineapple jam into to bowl and let it cool completely.Step 2   make the wrappers

8. Sift the flour. 面粉过筛
9. Cut the butter into small cubes. Use your fingertips to rub butter in the flour till the mixture resembles bread crumb.
10. Add into the mixture the egg yolks and condensed milk. Use your hand to combine them together until it becomes a soft dough. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and leave it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Step 3   Assemble

11. Divide the pineapple filling/jam into 100 portions (7-8g each) and roll them into a small ball
12. Roll the dough into 100 portions balls (10-12g each) and roll them into a small ball
13. Flatten a piece of the dough ball, place a pineapple jam ball in the middle. Bring the edges together and press tightly to seal. Roll it in between your palms to shape it into a ball.
14. Use a paring knife, cut the criss-cross shape on the top to create a pineapple pattern. Or use any fun or desired small-size cookie cutter or pastry cutter that you happen to have at home.
15. Place all the little pastries on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
16. Apply egg wash with a brush. Try to brush the entire pastry ball including top and sides.
17. Preheat the oven to 165℃. Place the baking try in the upper deck of the oven. Bake for 24 minutes or till they become golden brown.
18. Cool completely before enjoying.

Cai Li Blakeman works for Spoonful as the Chinese Cooking instructor. Cai Li was born and raised in China and has lived in Beijing, Washington DC and Singapore. She received her culinary training at the Le Cordon Bleu in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2014.  She is also a food consultant and blogger. She shares easy recipes and stories on homemade Chinese and Asian food on the Facebook page #sentosadough and her blog of www.lets-playdough.com.

Prior to pursuing her passion for cooking and culinary education, she was a PR and Communications professional and had held management positions in global firms including United Technologies Corporation (UTC), NEC, Edelman, Johnson Controls and Kimberly-Clark.