Getting Ready for Chinese New Year - Pineapple Tarts (Part one)

I can't imagine celebrating a Chinese New Year without eating any pineapple tarts...

Last year, I've used an express method to bake pineapple tarts for our Chinese New Year 2011. The advantages of using this method are: 

• It is really fast and easy. 
• The pineapple tarts are delicious.
• Everything including the pineapple jam is all homemade!

The only disadvantage is that I can only make 15 tarts which are just not enough to satisfy our family's consumption.

This year, I am baking more pineapple tarts for my family. At the same time, I would love to try and test different pineapple tart recipes to seek for an ideal one for my future bakes.

As I was reading and exploring every recommended recipes, I came across about a few concerns that I need to embrace making a large batch of pineapple tarts...

Wendy, Table for 2 or more has highlighted the danger from splattering of hot pineapple juice while cooking the pineapple jam.

Ju, The Little Teochew has mentioned that melt-in-mouth pastry can be difficult to handle as the buttery pastry may melt down in our hot summer days.

For the sake of continuing the culture of eating GOOD QUALITY pineapple tarts for Chinese New Year, I'm writing down the following checklist to gear up for my series of pineapple tart bakes:

Pineapple - We are lucky that Australian pineapples are in season now.
(checked)

Butter -  I have stocked up the best quality butter to bake these Chinese New Year delicacies (checked)

"Heat-proof" hands to endure splattering of pineapple jam
(I think that I'm tough enough to do this - checked)

Being BRAVE enough to handle melting pastry and explore different pineapple recipes (CHECKED! LOL) 

Since last year, I remember reading a detailed pineapple jam post and a cream-cheese-melt-in-mouth pineapple tarts post, both by Wendy, Table for or more. Both her posts have very precise step-by-step instructions and she has shared lots of tips and techniques with her pineapple jam cooking and so I've decided to use both her recipes to make my first batch of pineapple tarts this year.

Both Wendy's recipes are really good. Unlike the commercial made pineapple jam, my homemade one is mild in sweetness and deliciously soft with adequate amount of moisture and fibers in every single bite of this jam. The cream-cheese-melt-in-mouth pastry is delicious too but I was seeking an ultimate melting kind of texture and so my quest for more pineapple tarts recipes continues...
 

Cream-cheese-melt-in-mouth pineapple tarts

This is how I made my pineapple jam...

A closer look of the tarts....

Inside the tart...Yum!

This jar of pineapple tarts is ready for our Chinese New Year celebration...

Here's the detailed recipe from Table for 2 or more
(with my modification in blue)

Pineapple Jam

2 Morris pineapples
(about 1.6kg each before peeling, after peeling it’s about 900g each)
(Mine is about 2.3kg each before peeling, after peeling is about 1.3kg)

2 cups sugar (400g) (Increase to 500g for 2.6kg of peeled pineapples)

1 cinnamon stick (I didn't add this)

Method:

1. Peel the pineapples.

2. Cut pineapples into chunks. Do not discard the core which contains most of the precious fiber.

3. Put half the pineapple chunks into a blender, add 1/3 cup of water and blitz away. Pour 80% of the blended stuff into a pan or wok. (Tip: Wendy recommends pan or wok with large evaporation surface)

4. With some remaining blended pineapple in the blender, repeat blending process with the rest of the pineapples, always leaving some blended stuff in the blender if you need to blend more chunks and you won't need more water.

(I didn't add any water while blending the pineapples. I blended the pineapples in 5 batches and didn't need any water to blend the smaller batches of pineapples)

5. Cook pineapple paste with cinnamon stick (I didn't add this) on medium heat until it's very pasty, like thick oatmeal. Do not stir it all the time.

6. Add in sugar and the jam will turn "watery" again. Turn to lower medium heat, and cook until it is very pasty. Stir once a while only, but keep an eye on it.

7. Increase the heat to high. Do not stir to allow the base jam to develop its caramelized colour. Stir once a while to check on the colour. Stop when it almost reaches your preferred colour. Take note that some pans will continue to caramelize even when the heat is off.

Wendy's important tips:

• Add sugar after the pineapple paste has lost more than 80% of its water. It reduces the risk of burnt jam and the most importantly, it splatters horribly when there is a lot of water with the large amount of sugar.
• Do not stir often when you reduce the pineapple paste. Once you stir, it starts splattering again, even with no sugar.
• Use a heavy based pan, if possible. It reduces the risk of burning the jam.
• Wear kitchen mittens to protect lower arms and hands from hot splattering jam.
  It's better to under-cook the jam rather than to overcook it. The jam will thicken further when it is cooled. If the jam is too wet after cooling, the jam can be cooked it again to reduce the moisture further. If it's too dry, diluting the jam with water may ruin its texture.
• If need to cook more than 2 pineapples, do not cook all at once. Pour in paste from one fruit into the pan/wok and let it reduce. While it reduces, prepare the next fruit and pour in when it is drying.
• Turn on exhaust hood to aid the evaporation of moisture. 

Melt in the Mouth Pineapple Tarts

Makes 125 pieces of tart

250g butter (salted)

(I used unsalted ones)

75g caster sugar (replaced by icing sugar)

170g cream

50g cream cheese
3 egg yolks
400g cake flour
30g corn starch

One more yolk for glazing
(plus 1 tsp condensed milk and 1 tsp milk)

Pineapple jam from 2 large pineapples

Method:
1. Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese together.

2. When it comes together, pour in cream and whip on medium speed for 10 min. Scrape the sides from time to time. Batter may look lumpy, but will turn creamy.

3. Beat in egg yolks for 1 min.

4. Sift both flours and pour half of it into buttery mixture. Mix on low speed until it comes together and pour in the remaining flour and beat until it comes together. Do not over mix.

5. Let dough sit for 10 min minimum before you start wrapping your jam with it.

6. Roll teaspoonfuls of pineapple jam in tiny balls. Keep them chilled while preparing the pastry.

7. Divide the pastry into 3/4 tablespoonful sizes. Wrap the pineapple jam into a slightly flattened pastry and roll into a round or rod shapes.

8. Preheat oven at 160°C (fan forced) or 180°C. Brush the pastry with egg wash and
baked them for 20 min. Transfer the baked tarts to a wire rack after 10 min of cooling and allow them to cool completely on wire rack.

Note: Using 2/3 of the pastry recipe, I've baked 60 pineapple tarts and have half the amount of pineapple jam left for more pineapple tarts baking...see you at part two.

Happy Baking

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