Pineapple Tarts - Old & New

This must be at least nth post about pineapple tarts that you can find in the blogosphere. During Chinese New Year, pineapple tarts is something that almost every Chinese family will eat, and there are at least another 4 persons around me that bakes their own pineapple tarts.

I can't remember when I started to bake my own pineapple tarts, but whenever I do so, it is definitely 100% home-made i.e. making pineapple jam from scratch. I don't have to elaborate how laborious it can be, from grating the pineapples by hand (getting cuts on the fingers is pretty much the norm for me :p), standing in front of the stove and stirring the grated pineapples for hours, preparing the dough is easy, to moulding each tarts, and packing them in the containers. There are several occasions where I want to take the short-cut and buy off-the-shelf pineapple jam, but cross-fingers this has not happen yet. I still find immersed pleasure and joy to make these pineapple tarts from scratch and give them away to my family and relatives. Especially when there's a little more work stress these day, I like to play with the dough and be able to indulge in my own thoughts and world! Also reminiscing the good ol' days when I had both my mum and dad to help me out with all the preparation and baking of these pineapple tarts.

Here's sharing the 2 recipes with you, hope you enjoy and find joy in making pineapple tart as much as me!

*OLD Recipe

Ingredients/ Method:

Filling
11 half-riped pineapples
1kg caster sugar

1. Grate the pineapples and drained the juice. Do not squeeze out the juice as this is what give the filling the flavour.
2. Cook the grated pineapples in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Add in the sugar when half of the juice is reduced.

4. Continue to cook until the jam is totally dry on low heat, which takes about 2 to 3 hours.

5. Leave to cool before rolling them into small balls.

6. Keep in fridge if using it on the same day. Put in the freezer if not going to use immediately.

This is how I rolled & stacked before keeping them in the fridge.

Note:

1. The next time, I will use 50% riped pineapples, and 50% half-riped pineapples as I read from somewhere that the jam will be more flavourful.

2. Make sure the eyes of the pineapples are removed.

3. More stirring required towards the end as the jam will get burnt easy at this stage. Keep an eagle-eye when the jam starts to dry.

Pastry
750g butter
525 Hong Kong flour, sifted
525g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp butter milk essence
100g milk powder
50g custard powder
120g soft brown sugar
4 1/2 egg yolk
1 1/2 egg white
1/2 tsp salt

1 egg (for egg wash)

1. Beat all ingredients, except Hong Kong flour and plain flour, till pale white.
2. Add flour and mix evenly. Do not over-mixed.
3. Keep in fridge for 30 mins before use.

4. You can either use this for closed-up tarts or nastar. (I've not tried open tarts using this recipe.)

5. Egg washed the tarts before baking to give it a nice colour.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven at 175 deg C for 25 mins.

7. Cool tarts thoroughly on wire rack before storing.

**NEW Recipe

Ingredients/ Method:
Recipe adapted from QBB webite - Chef Devagi's Pineapple Tarts

Pastry
•200g QBB
•25g icing sugar
•2 egg yolks
•1/2 tsp salt
•350g plain flour

1.Using a wooden spoon, cream QBB, sugar, egg yolks and salt until creamy.
2.Fold in shifted flour and mix well to combine. The dough will be sticky and slighly 'wet' to the touch. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
3.Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Line 2 - 3 baking trays with greased baking paper.
4.Roll out pastry to about 0.75cm thick.
5.Make tart shapes with pineapple tart cutter.
6.Arrange on a lined baking tray.
7.Place prepared balls of pinapple jam in the hollow of the cut pastries.
8.Bake for 20 - 25 min
9.Cool tart thoroughly on a wire rack before storing.

Note:
1. I used the same pineapple jam as the "OLD" recipe.

Before baking, I tried a few moulds to test which is the easiest to handle.

I love the flower-shaped but they are not as easy. Next year, perhaps!

Personally, I still love my "OLD" recipe. I will gather what my other family members and relative got to say about these 2 pineapple tarts and will update shortly.

I'm also submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #3: My Favourite CNY Cookie hosted by j3ss kitch3n.