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Pineapple Tarts

Pineapple Tarts are traditional, bite-sized pastry treats often served for the Lunar New Year. The original ones from Singapore have a pastry tart shaped like a floral cookie, with the homemade pineapple filling at the center. If you don't have the classic pastry mold, shape them like tiny hand pies. This is an Asian in America blog post by Elizabeth Ann Quirino. The pineapple filling recipe was inspired by the memoir A Tiger In the Kitchen by Cheryl Lu -Lien Tan.
Prep Time1 day
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 day 1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine: Asian, Singaporean
Keyword: Chinese Pineapple Tarts
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 693kcal
Author: Asian in America - Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender
  • Stock pot - large
  • Large Baking Sheets
  • Round cookie cutters
  • Rolling pin

Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • 1 cup chilled unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 whole eggs, chilled; use straight from the refrigerator
  • 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

For the egg wash

  • 1 whole egg
  • ¼ cup water

For the pineapple filling:

  • 2 cans (20 oz. each) crushed pineapple; or use 2 fresh pineapples, peeled, cut in chunks
  • 2 to 3 whole pandan leaves (screwpine), knotted; use frozen or fresh
  • 1 long cinnamon stick, broken in two
  • 2 ½ cups granulated sugar

Instructions

To make the pastry dough:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, powdered sugar, cornstarch and butter.
    Use a pastry blender (or food processor), or else 2 knives to mix till it looks like coarse dough and is the size of peas.
    Add the chilled eggs. Continue blending till dough is smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
    Shape into round discs. Cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough overnight till ready to shape into hand pies.

To make the pineapple filling:

  • Note: If using fresh fruit, peel and chop the fruit. Process the chunks in the food processor, till consistency is a thick pulp.
    In a large work or stockpot, pour the canned crushed pineapple and liquid, (or fresh), and cook over medium heat.
    Add the knotted pandan leaves and cinnamon stick.
    Bring mixture to a boil. Then lower heat to a slow simmer. Keep stirring and cook for around 1 up to 2 hours till it's a thick, jam-like consistency.
    Add the sugar, at nearly the end of cooking, around the last 30 minutes. This keeps the filling from burning if added at the end stage.
    Do not leave pineapple unattended or it will burn.
    The jam should turn to a dark yellow golden color and has to be thick enough to handle into the pies.

To assemble the pineapple tarts:

  • Roll out the dough on a floured surface.
    Using a round cookie cutter, about 2-inches in diameter, cut the dough into circles. Cut an even number so you can have pairs to make one complete tart.
    Fill the center of the circle with about 2 teaspoons of the pineapple filling.
    Brush the sides of the dough with egg wash (egg + 1/4 cup water).
    Place a second round dough on top. Seal edges with a fork. Continue process for all the other pieces.

To bake:

  • Pre heat oven at 350 F degrees.
    Place the pineapple tarts on parchment-lined baking sheets. Leave a 2-inch space in between.
    Brush tops with egg wash.
    Bake at 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes.
    Brush top again with remaining egg wash. Bake for 5 minutes more till top is golden brown.
    Remove from oven and cool on baking racks.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 693kcal | Carbohydrates: 170g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 131g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 2mg