Pineapple Tarts

I experimented with pineapple tarts this new year (2011).

This recipe was from my second attempt, the improved version.

This project will cost about $20 and it takes 4 hours to complete.

This blog post was previously cranky so here's a repost of it. (:

Pineapple Tarts Recipe

Ingredients

Pineapple Paste

4 Honey Pineapples

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp white sugar

Pastry

4 oz plain flour (about 125+g)

4 oz all purpose flour (about 125+g)

5oz salted butter (about 150+g)

3 eggs

1 egg for glaze

Steps:

Cut and clean 4 pineapples.

I love using Malaysia's Honey pineapple, cheap and nice!

2 for $2.50.

Painstakingly grate the pineapples.

Tip: Cut the pineapple in half and poke the harder side with a fork.

Gives you a better grip!

Sieve the pineapple bit by bit as you grate.

Rid the juice.

I won't recommend drinking it cos it was so raw and acidic that I fell sick! ):

Use a coffee sock to squeeze whatever juice you can find in the mass.

There will still be juice somehow.

This stick of pineapple was from 2 whole pineapples!

I squeezed like a mad woman btw!

The coffee sock I used.

Got it from NTUC at $1.80.

Place pineapple paste over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of white sugar and 3 tablespoon of brown sugar.

The brown sugar is what gives the paste the color.

Stir and mix.

EVERY 1-2 MINUTES.

Stir.

Smear and stir.

Somehow I like this method.

Do so till' paste is dry.

Make sure it's dry else' you won't be able to keep these tarts for long due to moisture.

This will take bout 20-30 minutes if you dried the pineapple using the coffee sock.

Else in recipes I read, it'll take 1.5 - 2 hours?

For the dough, sieve the plain flour and all purpose flour into a mixing bowl.

Mix in the butter that has been cut into cubes.

Use the back of a butter knife to 'rub in' the butter blocks into the flour. Do it a lil' at a bit till it resembles breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumb like mixture.

Add in the eggs and mix till' you get a dough mixture.

Mix it and knead it till you get something like this!

When the paste cools, roll it into tiny balls.

My cutter!

Roll out the dough using a rolling pin till bout 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick.

Cut out shapes and then stick pineapple paste onto it.

Glaze with 1 whole egg beaten for a brown look.

I realised that glazing with just egg yolk alone makes the tart too brown.

W/o glaze.

These are baked btw!

Kakak's slipshod brushing of egg skill.

It SHOWS!

So brush on properly!

Preheat oven to 150deg.

Bake at 150 deg for 5 minutes.

Raise temperature to 200deg and bake for another 15 - 18 minutes or till nice and brown.

Credits to Terence for this awesome tip of temperature control! (:

Final product! (:

This project was fun! There's great satisfaction in baking pineapple tarts from scratch!

These taste great too! The tarts melt in the mouth!

This project took about 4 hours, though it should take 6-7 hours due to cooking time from paste.

Guess the coffee sock method took away a great fraction of time needed.

However, these tarts cannot be kept for a long duration due to the lack of preservatives.

Mine lasted maximum 1 week before it turned mouldy.

Nevertheless, this is a tasty and satisfying project!

I'd love to see the bakes or stuff you've cooked using the blog's recipe! Do share photos of stuff you've baked or cooked using the blog's recipe with me either via FB message to http://facebook.com/limcynthia OR http://facebook.com/thebakingbiatch OR via email at cynthia.lim.hl@gmail.com! I look forward to hearing from you! (: