Pineapple Tarts

Yummy pineapple tarts are ready to be served

Rolls of 'Sunflowers'

Pineapple tarts is a must for my family during chinese new year celebration. My whole family love pineapple tarts. My old recipe for pineapple tarts are very old fashion using cups for measuring, over the years I have be doing some comparison and trial and error and came up with this recipe, the methods are the same on some plus and minus on the ingredients.
During those days we have make the pineapple jams ourselves, which incur long hours of cooking and stirring of the pineapple jam during cooking time. I did buy ready made pineapple jams, but found there are too sweet. So I cook the jams myself again. But this year, I am so lazy, i give it any try for the ready made jam. Hmmm...... not bad leh, this time the jams are not sweet and just nice, hah.. save this lazy mama a lot of work leh! Hurray!
Nevertheless for those who preferred to make their own pineapple jams here is the recipe.

3 pineapple (cut the skin and the eyes - grated and use muslin cloth to squeeze out some juice but make sure not too dry)
3 1/2 cups of sugar
4 cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Put all the ingredients in a heavy based pot on medium fire and cook almost dry, turn to low fire and keep stirring to avoid the jam get burned. Continue to cook till the jams thicken. Set aside to let it cool. Stored in fridge for later use. The jam can be prepared in advance for a day or two. 
 
Ingredients for pastry  
300 gms flour  (sifted)
2 tbsp icing sugar
 1/4 tsp of salt
200 gms cold butter  (butter should not be soften
2 egg yolks
 2 tbsp cold water
 1 tsp of Vanilla essence
1 egg yolk add 2 tsp of milk for glazing 
 
Method

1. Mix  flours, icing sugar and salt to combine. Mix well to combine.
2. Using a plastic spatula (hard type) cut and slice /flake the butter into the flour, rub with fingertips until it resemsemble like fine bread crumbs,  continue rubbing the bigger pieces into finer pieces. 
3. Beat eggs yolk, cold water and vanilla essence.  Add into the flour mixture.  Using fingertips, mix the mixture into a large dough.  Do not knead the dough.  Cover and  chill in the fridge for about 15 mins
4.  Place the dough in between 2 plastic sheets and roll out to desired thickness (as show in the photo below).  Using cutter to cut out dough and arrange neatly onto baking tray.
5. Place the rolled pineapple jam balls onto the centre of each tart.
6. Bake at  pre heat oven of 160°C for 8 minutes.
7. Take out the tray from the oven, glaze them  with egg and milk mixture.  (This is to allow the tarts shell shaped up for easy grazing and will not disfigure the shape of the tarts  shell).
8. Continue baking in the oven for another 15 mins or  till done. 

You will notice that I used plastic sheets in between the pastry is for easy rolling and handling, this way, you can rolls to your desired thickness and not that messy leh! Good idea leh!

 

Resemble like bread crumbs

Dough is ready, chilled in the fridge for 15 mins

 

Roll in between 2 plastic sheets of desired thickness, and use pineapple tart cutter to cut tarts into shapes

Most bakery shops are now selling ready to use Pineapple jams.

Roll the pineapple jams into small balls

Hope this will help you to make tasty pineapple tarts. Please do let me your success or even if you are not happy with the recipe. Good or bad all welcome to discuss.
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR N KONG XI FAI CHAI!!! 

 Updated on February 2012  ~   my different pattern of melt in the mouth Pineapple Tarts!