Pineapple Tarts is another "must have" during Chinese New Year, it is one of my family favourite. I have to homemade the pineapple filling again this year as it is not available in Sydney. I'm using my previous recipe for the pineapple tarts pastry and filling with minor modification.
With two big pineapples produced about 600g pineapple paste, standing in front of the wok for more than two hours is not an easy task especially have to endure the painful splatter from the boiling pineapple jam. However, the melt-in-mouth pastry will make you come back to bake this tart each year. :) The tip for a yummy pastry is using the best butter you can get, this round I'm using Golden Churn Pure Creamery Butter.
Note: I hand made the pattern on each of the pastry using dough knife.
Yield: 102 pieces (medium size tarts)
Wishing you a Happy, Wealthy and Prosperous Chinese New Year!
新年快乐！万事如意！
Recipe:
Ingredients for Pineapple Filling/Jam:
2 big pineapple puree, about 1.5kg (Blend the cut pineapple, no separation of pineapple juice with fibre)
2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
1 medium size lemon (wash and blend the lemon together with skin)
250g fine sugar (to taste, as some pineapple is very sweet and some may be a bit sour)
3 heap spoons maltose
Method:
1. It is best if you have a big wok because the juice in the pineapple can dried off easily. Mix the pineapple puree with lemon puree, add ground cinnamon.
2. Cook the pineapple-lemon puree on high heat until it is boiling, continue to cook for 30 mins before turning the heat to medium low. Add sugar, add maltose when the juice reduce to half. Continue to cook until the juice dried off and the pineapple jam turning very stiff (about 2 hours). Remember to stir the pineapple jam once in a while to prevent burning at the bottom. The pineapple jam has to fry until very dry so to produce a longer storage time for your pineapple tarts.
3. Cool down complete before keep in fridge for a day.
4. Roll into small balls, set aside for later use.
Note:
1. the cooking time may vary (mine is about 2 hours) as it is depends on the size of your wok and the juice contains in the pineapple.
2. The pineapple jam is not mean for spreading so the texture is a bit stiff so it is able to roll into a ball for the enclosed pineapple tarts.
Ingredients for pastry:
340g golden churn butter
80g icing sugar
4 egg yolks
4.5 tbsp ghee
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
550g plain flour
50g custard powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 lightly beaten egg yolk for glazing
Method:
1. Cream butter, ghee and sugar until light. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Add vanilla extract and salt. Beat until fluffy.
2. Fold in sifted flour ingredients and mix into a firm dough. Put dough on a work surface and lightly knead until the dough is smooth.
3. Wrap with plastic cling and place in the fridge for 30 mins. Let the dough rest and bind.
4. Roll the pineapple jam into small balls.
5. Remove dough from fridge, divide dough using a teaspoon and roll into balls.
6. Flatten a piece of dough and place a piece of the pineapple jam ball in the middle. Bring the edges of the dough together and press lightly to seal. Roll the dough between your palms to shape it into a ball.
7. Place the pineapple dough on baking tray lined with parchment paper.
8. Making pattern on the dough balls is optional.
9. Brush the egg yolk on the pineapple ball.
10. Bake in preheated over of 180C and for ~20 mins or until it turned golden brown.
11. Cool on wire rack before store in airtight container.
