Pineapple Tarts

These tarts are a must for the Chinese New Year. The jam is of pineapple and it is quite tedious to cook, so it is once a year affair for these tarts. This year i made the pastry from 3 recipes and they are all delicious but i like this recipe posted below. A fresh pineapple costs about 3 to 4 usd so i used canned crushed or chunk pineapples which is so easy and so much cheaper. I do not have to stand in front of the stove and stir until the cows come home, i cook them in the microwave.




Ingredients:

Pastry:

A:565 gm (20 ozs) flour
2 tsp baking powder

225 gm(8 ozs) butter - chilled
113 gm(4 ozs) margarine - chilled

B:2 tbsp sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
3 drops of yellow food coloring
1/2 tsp salt


8 tbsp chilled water

Glaze:
1 egg + 1 yolk
2 drops of yellow food coloring


Method:

1. Sift A into food processor.

2. Beat B: lightly.

3. Cut chilled butter and margarine into small pieces and add in food processor(Step 1). Pulse until mixture resembles bread crumbs.

4. Pour in egg mixture B:(step 2) and pulse 2 more times, then add in the boiling water. Pulse until it forms a dough.

5. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.

Pineapple Filling/jam (To be made the day before shaping the tarts)

4 cans 20 ozs pineapple crushed/chunks(drain and pulse in food processor until fine)

sugar (amount of sugar should be equal to the pineapple pulp e.g. 1 cup pineapple pulp to 1 cup sugar. 3/4 cup of sugar will be acceptable as the canned pineapples do tend to be sweeter than fresh ones)

1 tbsp of lime/lemon juice

2 sticks of cinnamon bark

6 cloves

1 segment of star anise

Method:

Put all the ingredients in a big round pyrex bowl and microwave on high. Start with 15 mins, stir well, high for another 15 mins x 2. If jam is still runny, microwave at 1 min at a time until it is thick but still wet. It will thicken and dry out when it is cooled. If jam has gone too dry, just add enough water, stir well to dilute. Jam for filling should not be too dry as it will dry further when the tarts are baking. (The timing in the microwave is for making 4 cans of pineapples, so if you intend to try making with one can only, then the time taken in the microwave should be very much shorter)

To Make The Tarts

Cut the chilled pastry into 4.

Roll out to 2/8 to 1/4 inch thick and cut with pineapple mould. Space the tarts 1 inch apart and when the whole baking sheet is full, brush with glaze.

Fill tarts wtih jam and top with a design. Glaze design.

Bake in preheated oven 375 f for 15 mins.

Note

Tarts can me moulded by hand into the shape of the pineapple with the jam enclosed. Use a pair of scissor to snip tiny 'v' shapes on the front half of the tart. Snip in rows. Place a clove to resemble the stem. Glaze before baking.



Serves