Traditional Pineapple Tarts for Yumsugar!

hey ya'll! Yumsugar baked a fab looking Chinese New Year Inspired Cake and i commented something about pineapple tarts, and she PM-ed me asking if i had a recipe. so Chinese New Year is round the corner (18th Feb) and in Singapore this is pretty big. in fact, we celebrate the shizz outta it! Sticking out tongue i figured since i've been thinking of making it anyways, why not just make it tonight? and i did!

i promised Yayita that i would blog about the whole "being chinese/CNY/coming from Singapore" thing so check it out HERE

OK, i got the recipe here but i only used the general idea. i changed it quite a lot. here's my version of traditional Chinese Pineapple Tarts!

give it to me baby!!

Filling: Pineapple Jam

300g Pineapple
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
0.5 tbsp butter

1. Mince/Shred/Blend the pineapples into fine mush. Strain off most of the juice; as dry as you can.
blimey so yellow they hurt my eyes
2. Place pineapple, sugar, butter and lemon juice into a bowl, microwave for 15 mins. Check and stir every 5 mins to prevent burning.
3. You may adjust the sugar to taste. After 15 mins, bring it out, stir a little and leave to cool. Filling should be dry and stiff.

if you dont have a microwave, dump it all in a pot and let it simmer for about 30mins. watch it carefully and keep stirring, taking care not to let it burn.

Pastry

250g plain flour, sifted
125g butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder (i used 1/3 but thats just me Sticking out tongue )
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp cold water

1. Sift flour with salt, cinnamon and baking powder into a bowl.
2. In seperate bowl, stir together butter, sugar and yolk with your clean hand.
3. Add flour mixture and knead well to form a soft dough. Set aside for an hour.
they call it JAM but its more like candied pineapples!
4. Roll out to 1/8inch thickness. Cut out with a pineapple tart cutter. (if you cant get this, use a round cutter, and just manually crimp the sides with a pastry crimper)
5. Place shells n baking tray.
pretty pastry! yes, i know i overdid the butter on the tray thing HAHAHA
6. Roll jam into little balls (about 1cm diameter) and press gently into center of pastry shells.
pop it into the oooven!
7. Tarts can be decorated with a lattice top or left plain.
8. Bake at 190C for about 20mins till pastry is a pale gold.
9. Cool on a wire tray and then store in airtight tin.