UPDATE (29 Jan 2018)
Someone gave us a tip to use Hong Kong flour instead of plain flour to give a ‘looser’ pastry with finer crumbs. We tried it over the weekend, and indeed it was super crumbly and melt in your mouth – super delicious!
However the pastry is more fragile, and we couldn’t pack it too tightly into the containers for fear that the tarts would break. We’ll try to mix Hong Kong flour with plain flour the next time Will keep you updated on the outcome!
STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE
Last week, we made a large batch of more than 200 pineapple tarts, but it’s almost all gone already! And so we decided to make another batch yesterday to share with our family and friends for Chinese New Year.
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We learnt the original recipe from Bee Leng’s baking aficionado friend, Christina, many years ago. After further experimentation, we finally arrived at this current recipe! The pineapple jam is super tarty while the pastry has a fragrant buttery taste, melty and crumbly texture!
TRICK OF THE TRADE
WHAT IS A GOOD PINEAPPLE TART?
When it comes to pineapple tart recipes, almost everyone has an opinion on what constitutes to a good pineapple tart. Here is our personal preference of what we consider to be a really delicious pineapple tart:
Pineapple jam
- Flavour: Not too sweet, and a subtle spiced flavour (cloves, star anise and cinnamon).
- Texture: Soft, juicy, and slightly chunky (with a nice substantial bite).
- Colour: Golden-coloured after baking, not too tan.
Pineapple tart pastry
- Flavour: Nice buttery fragrance, with a touch of vanilla.
- Texture: Crumbly, melts in your mouth but still sturdy enough to be packed.
- Colour: Light brown with a nice yellow, slightly caramelised glaze.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH
- The sweet and ‘spicy’ pineapple jam makes this sweet treat exotic-tasting and irresistible! Thanks to the combination of spices of cloves, star anise and cinnamon.
- The crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the pastry. It also pairs excellently with the jam, providing a sharp contrast to it.
HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE TARTS?
Sift the plain flour. Then add in the salt, milk powder (optional) and icing sugar, and mix well.
Cut the cold butter into cubes, then use a dough blender or your fingers to blend the butter into the dough until it achieves a breadcrumb-like consistency.
Add the vanilla extract and eggs (2 egg yolks and 2/3 egg white), and use your fingers to gently bring the dough together. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
Divide the dough into 2 batches. Place each batch in a separate bag, then flatten it and chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, weigh out and roll the pineapple jam into balls of about 6g each.
Preheat oven to 170°C, then roll out the 1st batch of dough to about 0.5cm thickness on a well floured surface. Ensure that the rolling pin is well floured as well.
Cut out the dough using a pineapple tart cookie cutter. First, press firmly on the outer cookie cutter to cut the shape out. Then press down on the inner mould to get a nice deep impression. Flour the cookie cutter before every use. Place the cut out cookies on a greased baking tray.
Add 3 egg yolks into a bowl and beat it. Then brush egg wash over the surface of each tart using a soft bristled brush.
Bake batch #1 tarts for 5 minutes at 170°C on the middle lower rack of the oven. Meanwhile, work on batch #2.
After 5 minutes, place the pineapple jam balls on the batch #1 tarts, pressing down gently to remove any air pockets. Then bake for another 10 minutes at 170°C.
Take out batch #1 to cool, and place batch #2 in oven to bake as per instructions above. Allow cookies to cool completely on a cooling rack before storing in an airtight container
MARKETING TIPS
- Use good quality butter and vanilla extract. For butter, we use the SCS brand, and the ratio of butter to flour we use is about 3:4. We also add a little good quality vanilla extract from Nielsen-Massey which tastes much better than vanilla essence.
- Use Hong Kong flour to give a ‘looser’ pastry with a finer crumb. The pastry is more fragile than those using plain flour, but it is super delicious and worth a try!
- Choose to use a good quality butter brand rather than other shortening for the pineapple tarts to have a nice buttery fragrance.
- Use a dough blender (or pastry cutter) as it is less messy than rubbing in the butter with your hands. and doesn’t transmit heat to the dough.
- Here are the cookie cutters we used. You can get a set from baking supplies shops such as Bake King.
HOW TO WORK THE DOUGH
- Don’t to overwork the dough, as the pineapple tarts will come out very hard and tough.
- Place the dough in the fridge as it makes the dough firmer so it is easier to handle. Work quickly when cutting out the pineapple tarts. If the dough becomes too soft, chill it in the fridge again to allow it to harden so it is easier to handle.
COOKING TIPS
- Use a soft bristled pastry brush for applying the egg wash (similar to a calligraphy brush) because the dough is very soft.
- Its normal for the pineapple tarts to be slightly crispy when fresh out of the oven. By the next day, the pastry will softened and become crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth.
JAM TIPS
- Add in the sugar midway through the cooking process when cooking the jam. This way the sugar won’t caramelise too much and the jam will end up light golden in colour.
- Choose to pre-bake the pastry for 5 minutes first, before baking it with the pineapple jam for another 10 minutes. This way, the pineapple jam remains very soft and juicy, and nicely golden coloured, not over baked
TART TIPS
- Use more egg yoke to give a softer and more crumbly texture. We also added a little egg white (binding agent) to ensure that the pineapple tarts are sturdy enough to be packed and transported.
- Adding sugar also helps as a binding agent to hold the tart pastry together.
- Glaze the pineapple tarts evenly with egg yolk, as it results in a more golden brown colour as compared to using a whole egg glaze.
REPLACEMENTS AND STORING TIPS
- Pineapple tarts last about 7-10 days at room temperature in the tropics using our homemade pineapple jam recipe, and a few months in the fridge.
- Add a small amount of milk powder can help to give a more melty texture but this is optional as some do not like the milky taste.
- Replace the icing sugar with 1.5 tbsp of castor sugar instead if you wish.
MORE CHINESE NEW YEAR RECIPES
- Bak Kwa (Chinese Barbecued Pork Jerky)
- Ngoh Hiang (五香 / Lor Bak)
- Chinese Braised Shiitake Mushrooms (Men Dong Gu)
- Spiced Pineapple Jam (Pineapple Tart Filling)
See all Chinese New Year Recipes
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
- Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
- Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
- Shellfish-Free: No modifications needed.
- Vegetarian: No modifications needed
WATCH OUR VIDEO FOR HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE!
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Highly Addictive Homemade Pineapple Tarts (凤梨挞 ／ 黄梨挞)
Ingredients
- 600 grams Pineapple Jam Click on link for recipe
- 500 grams Plain Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1.5 tbsp (Optional) Milk Powder
- 30 g Icing Sugar
- 375 g Cold Butter (Unsalted)
- 3/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 2/3 Egg White
- Corn flour For flouring the surfaces
FOR EGG WASH
- 2-3 Egg yolks
Instructions
PREPARATION METHOD
- Sift the plain flour. Then add in the salt, milk powder (optional) and icing sugar, and mix well.
- Cut the cold butter into cubes, then use a dough blender or your fingers to blend the butter into the dough until it achieves a breadcrumb-like consistency.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs (2 egg yolks and 2/3 egg white), and use your fingers to gently bring the dough together. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
- Divide the dough into 2 batches. Place each batch in a separate bag, then flatten it and chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, weigh out and roll the pineapple jam into balls of about 6g each.
COOKING METHOD
- Preheat oven to 170°C, then roll out the 1st batch of dough to about 0.5cm thickness on a well floured surface. Ensure that the rolling pin is well floured as well.
- Cut out the dough using a pineapple tart cookie cutter. First, press firmly on the outer cookie cutter to cut the shape out. Then press down on the inner mould to get a nice deep impression. Flour the cookie cutter before every use. Place the cut out cookies on a greased baking tray.
- Add 3 egg yolks into a bowl and beat it. Then brush egg wash over the surface of each tart using a soft bristled brush.
- Bake batch #1 tarts for 5 minutes at 170°C on the middle lower rack of the oven. Meanwhile, work on batch #2.
- After 5 minutes, place the pineapple jam balls on the batch #1 tarts, pressing down gently to remove any air pockets. Then bake for another 10 minutes at 170°C.
- Take out batch #1 to cool, and place batch #2 in oven to bake as per instructions above. Allow cookies to cool completely on a cooling rack before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
MARKETING TIPS
- Use good quality butter and vanilla extract. For butter, we use the SCS brand, and the ratio of butter to flour we use is about 3:4. We also add a little good quality vanilla extract from Nielsen-Massey which tastes much better than vanilla essence.
- Use Hong Kong flour to give a 'looser' pastry with a finer crumb. The pastry is more fragile than those using plain flour, but it is super delicious and worth a try!
- Choose to use a good quality butter brand rather than other shortening for the pineapple tarts to have a nice buttery fragrance.
- Use a dough blender (or pastry cutter) as it is less messy than rubbing in the butter with your hands. and doesn't transmit heat to the dough.
- Here are the cookie cutters we used. You can get a set from baking supplies shops such as Bake King
HOW TO WORK THE DOUGH
- Don't to overwork the dough, as the pineapple tarts will come out very hard and tough.
- Place the dough in the fridge as it makes the dough firmer so it is easier to handle. Work quickly when cutting out the pineapple tarts. If the dough becomes too soft, chill it in the fridge again to allow it to harden so it is easier to handle.
COOKING TIPS
- Use a soft bristled pastry brush for applying the egg wash (similar to a calligraphy brush) because the dough is very soft.
- Its normal for the pineapple tarts to be slightly crispy when fresh out of the oven. By the next day, the pastry will softened and become crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth.
JAM TIPS
- Add in the sugar midway through the cooking process when cooking the jam. This way the sugar won't caramelise too much and the jam will end up light golden in colour.
- Choose to pre-bake the pastry for 5 minutes first, before baking it with the pineapple jam for another 10 minutes. This way, the pineapple jam remains very soft and juicy, and nicely golden coloured, not over baked
TART TIPS
- Use more egg yoke to give a softer and more crumbly texture. We also added a little egg white (binding agent) to ensure that the pineapple tarts are sturdy enough to be packed and transported.
- Adding sugar also helps as a binding agent to hold the tart pastry together.
- Glaze the pineapple tarts evenly with egg yolk, as it results in a more golden brown colour as compared to using a whole egg glaze.
REPLACEMENTS AND STORING TIPS
- Pineapple tarts last about 7-10 days at room temperature in the tropics using our homemade pineapple jam recipe, and a few months in the fridge.
- Add a small amount of milk powder can help to give a more melty texture but this is optional as some do not like the milky taste.
- Replace the icing sugar with 1.5 tbsp of castor sugar instead if you wish.
Thank you for this wonderful pineapple tarts recipe. As a Singaporean living in California, I am always searching online for recipes of our local flavors. I quickly came to realized that not all recipes are reliable, or perhaps they were cut for different taste buds. Your pineapple tarts is most authentic by far with clear step-by-step instructions and make minimal mess in the kitchen (*very important).
You’re most welcome R2Morgan! Glad that you like the recipe that we have shared. Have you tried it out already?
Yes, I did and with great success. The dough texture is exactly what I was looking for but I *cheated* on the pineapple jam though. I used 2 fresh pineapples grated and 2 cans of crushed pineapple. Turned out well.
Dear R2Morgan, So wonderful to hear that it was a great success, and that the dough texture was to your liking! Don’t worry about the ‘cheating’, actually many people probably can’t tell the difference, unless you are more purist or have particularly discerning tastebuds. But beyond that, I’m so happy to hear that though you are based in California, you are still able to follow this recipe to recreate the taste of home and festive CNY mood back home! Wishing you a happy and blessed New Year of the Dog! And hope you will continue to try out more recipes… Read more »
Admin: Comment deleted as it is a repeat of another comment.
I work my dough into a ball with a much lighter touch than you do, starting with a fork and then my fingertips yet my tarts consistently turn out tough and underbaked even after 20mins at 180 degrees. They are however light golden brown and flaky as in you can see many layers when I bite into them. I dare not bake longer as I am afraid they will become harder and too brown.
I am so discouraged I want to give up. I really don’t know what could have gone wrong. Please help.
Hi Lihwa, thanks for trying out our recipe! Could you send us a photo of your pineapple tart to burningchef@theburningkitchen.com so we can help you to troubleshoot? There’s no need to use a fork, just gently bring the dough together with your fingers until it’s smooth. Do also let us know if you are following the recipe exactly or if you made any variations, as that could affect the texture too 🙂 Please don’t be discouraged! Cooking and baking does take time and practice, we have all gone through that.
Apologies, I actually meant firm not tough in my earlier comment. My family actually prefers firm to crumbly pastry but I want to achieve a more crumbly looser texture. My bigger problem is the undertaking.
Hi Lihwa, did you just bake it? As we mentioned in the notes, its normal for the pineapple tart to be slightly crispy immediately after baking. Leave it overnight in an airtight container and try it again tomorrow, the pastry usually softens and becomes more crumbly after just 1 day. However if the pineapple tart is under-baked – meaning you can actually taste that the dough is not cooked – you can try baking it at 170*C for a few more minutes (2-3 min). The temperature and cooking time we provided is based on our Ariston oven, but all ovens… Read more »
hi ..can i know 2/3 of egg whites means two third in fraction form and not 2 or 3 egg whites, am I right? Sorry for a silly question. I had tries your recipe and it was wonderful! I did the open faced tart but my dough was too soft to bring out from the mould so i had used the leftover dough for close faced tart…like a rose tart and a leaf shape tart. I bake it longer…some cracked but tasted very nice. Now friend wanted to order from me for 3 bottles…i am so nervous now. Hope it… Read more »
Hi Evelyn, really glad to hear that you enjoyed the pineapple tarts, and even managed to take orders for it! Yes 2/3 refers to the fraction two-thirds – the reason is that we are aiming for a 3:1 ratio for the egg yolk to egg white to get a softer and more crumbly pastry (read our recipe notes for more info). If the dough is too soft to be un-moulded, you can try the following: 1. Refrigerate the dough for a longer time to allow it to firm up more. 2. Take out the dough from the fridge one batch… Read more »
Ai Ping says “Yes I baked some. Great recipe, yummy. “
Hi I have tried the recipe and I loved it. thank you very much. but can I ask if this same recipe can be used to do enclosed pineapple tarts instead? will it be melt in your mouth type?
Hi Angelia, sorry I am not sure if it melts in your mouth for the close up tarts as this recipe works very well for open tart.
Thank you for trying our recipe and liking it.
Do you hv any photos to post on our FB page?
thanks for the reply. unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of my output. definitely will be making another time cos I still have left over pineapple paste. 🙂
Hi Angelia,
Will be on a look out for your next batch of pineapple tarts.
Hi Melissa,
Hope this finds you well!
Would like to check – how long can this last?
My fiance is currently working overseas and won’t be back till July.
Am attempting to bake this and ship it over (1-2 weeks).
Can this last for at least 6 weeks?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
Your tarts looks so yum! i will try as soon as i have a free time. What is hongkong flour? And how if i can’t find it here, is there any flour to substitute?
Hi Shai, you can use plain flour.
Hi Bee Leng, I am planning to try your receipe for pineapple tart. Since this is my first try I would like to make a small portion for a start. Should I reduce all the ingridents to 50% if I want to make only half of your portion? Bre what’s the purpose of the milk powder? And why did you use icing sugar instead of caster sugar. Hope to hear from you. Thanks.
Dear Serene, yes I don’t see any reason why you can’t reduce the ingredients by half. The milk powder is to give a slighty milky, melt in your mouth texture. As for icing sugar, I suppose that the icing sugar is finer and thereby more easily blended into the tart batter so the crumb will not finer. But if you only have castor sugar, you can also use that. Take note that you will have to adjust the quantity of castor sugar as it is sweeter than icing sugar. When the tarts are straight out of the oven, they will… Read more »
Yes. You half the quantity of the recipe. Castor sugar is a bit coarse and will not melt easily whereas icing sugar gets incorporated into the flour very easily as we cannot over knead the dough.
Hi all
Has anyone using hongkong flour (50%) & plain flour (50%)??? for the pastry??? Please reply. Thanks
have you tried ? how did it go?
Yes I did. Hong Kong flour is a bit ‘ looser’ ( very ‘Soong’ in mandarin). Using 400 gm plain flour and 100 gm Hong Kong flour would be better. The result is not too crumbly. That’s my personal preference.
Yes I did. Hong Kong flour is a bit ‘ looser’ ( very ‘Soong’ in mandarin). Using 400 gm plain flour and 100 gm Hong Kong flour would be better. The result is not too crumbly. That’s my personal preference.
Hi can i replace the butter with ghee?
Hi Amelia, sorry I am afraid you cannot use ghee to substitute.
Ghee is actually oil which is separated the milk which caramelises into a solid block. That’s why you cannot substitute it for butter.
Hi Melissa
I would like to try to bake your pineapple tart. I noticed in some recipe their butter and flour is like this 500 flour and 250 butter but then I noticed yours is 375 butter, can advise is it to make it more buttery and soft.
Thanks
Amy
Hi I notice that too, is it a typo?
Yes. It’s not typo error. In fact I just made double the portion of flour today. It is buttery and soft, literally melts in your mouth. If you don’t like it too buttery, add less butter according to your preference. Let me know the outcome and post a pic on our FB page.
Hi Amy, yes if you want it softer and more buttery. However, you can add less butter according to your own preference.
Hello Melissa, is it ok if i omit totally the sugar for the crust? does it make a difference? Does the sugar play a role to do anything other than making the crust sweeter?
Sally, shouldn’t be a problem . After all the amount is rather little.
Hi,
you mentioned in your recipe that to bake it for 170 C in lower rack, how about the heat? Upper and Lower? or just lower heat?
Thanks
Hi Mandy, both upper and lower heat.
It is not clear to me that how long the homemade pineapple tarts can be stored? At one part under the “Tricks of the trade” it says 7-10 days. The other part under the “Replacement and storing Tips” says 7-10 weeks.
Can you please clarify?
Thank you for your feedback.We have already amended the typo error to 7-10 days instead of weeks.
Hi Melissa,
Is there any way I can replace the plain flour with cake flour? Would it still work?
Can I ask can I bake the tarts for 15 min startight instead of baking for 5 mins then assemble the jam? Wh一？what’s the reason for baking the batch without the jam for 5 mins first?