Happy Lunar New Year or Spring Festival: Recipe for Quick Pineapple Tarts

My daughter and I read Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asian trilogy, which is essentially a love affair with Singaporean food. Throughout the book, Kwan writes about the pineapple tarts eaten during the Lunar New Year. Three books later, I knew that this year was my year to make pineapple tarts.

There are a few complicated recipes out there and I'm all about simplicity. Though fresh pineapple is recommended for the jam filling, I found reducing a can of pineapple tasted the same and was readily available.

Yield: 18 small tarts

Pineapple filling

1 can of unsweetened pineapple (crushed or rings) 

Cinnamon or clove to taste ( I do not add any spices, but my family likes cinnamon.)

Tart 

½ cup (1 stick) of butter softened (113 grams)

2 tb (1 oz) of sweetened condensed milk (28 grams) 

(substitute: 2 tb milk and 2.5 oz of powdered sugar- add liquid sparingly)

1 egg yolk 

¾ cup (6 oz) all-purpose flour

Egg Wash 

(using a whole egg for the egg wash makes the tart brown while using just the egg white will make it shiny) 

Either use the egg white (from the tart) for a shine or use another whole egg

1 tbl water

Directions: 

Blend or finely chop the pineapple without the liquid. 

Place blended mixture into a saucepan and cook on medium. Turn down to low once it starts to bubble. 

Watch and stir until reduced to a think jam.

Put in freezer for 10 minutes if in a hurry or cool in the fridge

While the pineapple is reducing, cream the butter and sweetened condensed milk together in a bowl. Add the egg yolk (put egg white aside to use with egg wash or scramble it up later) 

Add the flour until the dough can easily be formed into a ball, not sticky. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325º

Make small balls with the dough and place on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Should make around 18-20.

Once the pineapple has been reduced, place in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Once the pineapple jam can be easily rolled into balls, take it out of freezer. 

Pat each dough ball flat. 

Roll the pineapple jam into small balls (smaller than the dough ball)

Place pineapple ball on top of flatten tart dough

Bring sides of tart around the pineapple and enclose

Roll filled dough into another ball, encasing pineapple filling inside

To decorate:

Press a fork gently on each filled ball just enough to make an impression. Wash top with egg wash. 

Bake at 325º for about 20 minutes. If one side is cooking too fast, rotate the cookie sheet half way through the cook time. Take out when the cookies are golden brown. 

© Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Time™ guidebook series. Adirondack Family Time™guidebooks have easy, short Adirondack family hikes for ADK kids, parents, retired, seniors, dog-owners, Adirondack swimming holes, Lake Placid Olympic activities, Adirondack trivia, Adirondack horseback rides, Adirondack snowshoe family trails and more. Look for the Adirondack family guidebooks online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the next Adirondack Family Activities™ guide.