Pineapple Tarts

Also known as Kuih Tat Nenas, it is one of the traditional malay cookies served during Eid Mubarak.  This festive cookie is also served during Chinese New Year and Deepavali.  One of the typical shapes is an open tart filled with pineapple jam.  The following recipe belongs to my mum who used to bake and sell them during Ramadhan.

Dough Ingredients (yields 80 pieces - 3.5 cm dia):
250 g soft butter
2 egg yolks
about 400 g plain flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Filling Ingredients:
3 ripe Del Monte pineapples
2 cups sugar or according to one's taste
1 cinnamon stick
2 pieces cardamon
3 pcs of tiny rock sugar

Method:
Skin and remove pineapple trunk.  Grate pineapples and transfer to a fine sieve over a bowl. Leave aside for about half an hour.  Save the juice in a jug and set aside.  In a medium-size pot, add grated pineapples, cinnamon stick, cardamon, sugar and rock sugar. Cook over low/medium heat until dry and dark in colour.  If the filling looks dry before it turns dark, add a little bit of pineapple juice.  This cooking of filling will take at least 3 to 4 hours depending on the heat used or it can be cooked by spreading over a few days.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, egg yolks and water together.  Then, add in vanilla essence, salt and flour.  Continue kneading until a pliable dough is formed.  Roll out pastry on a floured surface and cut the dough by using a pineapple cutter below.

Fill in the filling by using a small fork.  Some prefer to roll the pineapple filling into a small ball to make things easier.  Then, decorate tarts with a star using the balance dough.  I used my fondant cutter for this purpose.

Bake in a preheated fan oven (140° C) for about 40 minutes.  You may bake them for about 10 to 15 minutes at a temperature of 180° C.  Kindly note that your oven's temperature might be different from mine.  Please observe the baking time carefully. Leave to cool down completely before storing in tin - place a pergament paper between each layer.

Happy Baking!