06 April 09 Pineapple Tarts

This is quite easy to make... just need a bit of time... It took me about 2.5hrs in total, from start to wash-up.

Tips from Lifeng...

Keep the tarts in air-tight container... the tarts will taste better the next day. Dun ask me why but this is true leh as the tarts dun really taste so nice right from the oven. It taste much better few days later :D

My tarts can be kept in air-tight containers for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients (makes about 80 tarts)

Filling:

1. 1 kg Pineapple
2. 300 gm sugar
3. a pinch of salt
4. 6 gm. cinnamon stick
5. 1 tsp. of cloves

Pastry:

1. 250 gm. Butter (1 block SCS brand butter)
2. 1/2 tsp. salt
3. 1 egg (70-75gm with shell on)
4. 250 gm. Plain Flour (Leave 50gm aside for dusting later)
5. 150 gm. Cake Flour (If cake flour is not available, use all 350gm plain flour also can)

For glazing: 1 egg (beaten)

Method:

For filling:

1. Peel pineapples , cut into pieces and blend till fine
2. Pour blended pineapples into a wok and fry for awhile before adding in sugar, cinnamon stick and cloves. Cook till it thickens and set aside to cool. Shape the pineapple jam into small balls.

**For my convenience, I bought ready-made pineapple filling from JB bake shop, which is sold in 3.8kg can... only RM33.00! and it taste very good!**

For pastry: (Use RUBBING-IN method, rub using finger tips)

1. Sieve together plain flour, cake flour and salt
2. Cut butter into small cubes. Rub-in butter, (1) and beaten egg till a dough is formed.
3. Roll out the dough to 0.5 - 1cm thick(depends on your likings) Cut it out with a fluted round cutter
4. Lay grease-proof paper on tray, place cut-out pastry on tray. Brush egg-glaze on cut-out pastry and place a small round ball of pineapple jam on the centre of cut-out pastry
5. Roll put small pieces of dough into thin strips and place it on top of the pineapple jam to make a cross
6. Brush with egg-glaze again on all "almost-done" pineapple tarts and bake at 170C for about 15 - 20 mins. or till pastry is golden brown. (need to watch the tarts at this stage... need to alternate the position of tray in the oven as some oven distribute uneven heat, causing different shades of brown on the tarts)
7. Leave pineapple tarts to cool on tray, out of oven for at least 15mins before transferring them on wire rack. Make sure tarts r completely cooled before storing in cookie containers.