Here's a recipe from Popo for some really nice pineapple tarts, a traditional Chinese New Year food here in Singapore.
Pineapple tarts are, despite the name, not a Western-style tart with a flaky baked pastry crust baked in a fluted pan. Instead,
pineapple tarts are small, crispy butter cookies, filled with a thick, dry pineapple jam, and either shaped by hand with the jam completely enclosed
inside a round cookie, or pressed into a flat shape using a special two-piece mold, and a ball of jam placed on top (kind of like a thumbprint cookie).
Everybody has their favorite recipe for these, and when Chinese New Year rolls around, you'll see hundreds of options displayed in the shops.
Of course, homemade is always best!
popo's pineapple tarts
makes about 50 tarts
ingredients
jam
300g pineapple (about one medium fresh pineapple, after peeling and removing the eyes (1)
Chop the pineapple roughly, reserving as much juice as possible. Optionally, you may blend until smooth for a nice, even final texture.
Simmer the pineapple, juice, and sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the pineapple is completely broken down, browned, and dry.
Add the butter, stir in thoroughly, and transfer to a jar to cool.
cookie
Cut the butter into the flour, using a fork or pastry cutter, until sandy.
Stir in the remaining ingredients to make a dough.
Roll out the dough, then stamp and cut using a two-piece tart cutter. (3)
Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet.
assembly and baking
Once the jam is cool enough to handle, roll small (4) balls between your hands, then place into the center well of the tarts.
Bake at 180c for 15-20 minutes, until the cookie is lightly golden brown.
Tarts may be kept at room temperature for several days. For longer-term storage and gifting, place in layers in a jar, separated by parchment paper rounds, and refrigerate.
notes
Now's a great time to practice cutting pineapple like those expert uncles in the market:
If you live outside the tropics, your pineapples are likely to be very sour and hard, with little juice. Compensate for this by increasing the sugar amount,
as well as adding more water. In a pinch, you could use canned pineapple; you likely wouldn't need to add sugar since the canning syrup will already be extremely sweet.
I would recommend using the two-piece cutter over the spring-loaded type, as the two pieces are far easier to clean, and the spring-loaded types tend to rust in our humid weather.
If you don't have a tart cutter, you could use any round cookie cutter and make a shallow well in the centre with the back of a teaspoon. Just be aware that the cookies will be very delicate
and work gently as you transfer them to the baking sheet.
When deciding how much to use, keep in mind that this jam is delicious and beloved, and no one will ever complain that you added too much.
