Enclosed Pineapple Tarts

With the pineapple jam/filling done and ready, it was time to make the pineapple tarts. I went with the enclosed version because I didn't have the piping mould for the rolled version, nor the cutter for the open-faced flower version.

Enclosed Pineapple Tarts

Since there was enough jam, I decided to try and test 2 different recipes for the pastry.

The first recipe that I chose was from Nasi Lemak Lover. Her recipe is touted and cited by many as the best melt-in-the-mouth pineapple tart recipe. I halved the original recipe and got about 36 pieces the size of Penang Tau Sar Pneah. This recipe uses a LOT of butter. For 36 pieces, I used three quarters of a 227 gm block of butter. It called for sweetened condensed milk for sweetness but no additional sugar, and the dough was soft and easy to handle. The baked tarts were very buttery... in fact, the aroma of butter was so strong that I worried that some may find it overwhelming. The pastry was firm, crumbly to the bite but not in the hands. It tasted buttery and quite bland on its own but when paired with the sweet-sour taste of the pineapple jam, the tart was delicious! I also find that they tasted better after a day, when the pastry has had time to soften.

The second recipe was from Table for 2... or more by WendyinKK. I couldn't resist this recipe because the pastry has cream cheese in it... must be good, right?! Again, I halved the original recipe and this time I made them smaller - bite-sized pieces, and got about 80 pieces. More to share :) Oh my, this recipe contains a LOT of fat - it uses less butter then NLL's but only to be replaced with cream cheese and heavy cream. This is not for weight conscious people! The dough was very, very soft and oily, which made it easy to shape around the jam ball but required quick and gentle handling to avoid a mess of dough and jam. The baked tarts gave out a milder aroma of butter but still very fragrant. The pastry was softer and more crumbly than NLL's, and slightly tastier. Other than that, I thought both recipes were very close in terms of taste, texture and flavour.

Pineapple Tarts - Tau Sar Pneah size vs. bite size

Choosing the perfect pineapple tart recipe is really a matter of personal preference. While these 2 recipes yielded aromatic and delicious tarts, I wouldn't use them if I were making tarts for someone who dislike the smell and taste of butter. NLL actually stated on her page that she used a butter blend instead of pure butter so as to not let the butter overwhelm the pineapple. I've tasted homemade pineapple tarts with pastry made with margarine, and they were equally good. Having said that, if you do love butter, as I do, you will love these 2 recipes. What I think will make or break your pineapple tart is the JAM. I know it's been said a million times but it is worth saying again - the homemade jam is superior. You just don't get the purity of taste and flavour with store-bought jam.

Enclosed Pineapple Tarts: Recipe 1

Adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover.
I halved the original recipe and got about 36 pieces the size of Penang Tau Sar Pneah.

Pastry
175 gm butter
50 gm sweetened condensed milk
255 gm all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp milk

Filling
About 350gm pineapple jam (homemade pineapple jam recipe here)

Making the Pastry

1. Cream butter and condensed milk until light.
2. Add in egg yolk and mix till combined.
3. Add in flour and mix till a soft dough forms. Don't overmix the dough.

Next, gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap and put it in the refrigerator to chill while working on the jam. 

Making/Assembling the Tarts

To ensure all the tarts are consistent in size, I use measuring spoons - a tablespoon of dough with a teaspoon of jam. 

1 tart = 1 tablespoon of dough + 1 teaspoon of jam

Firstly, while the dough is chilling in the fridge, roll the jam into balls, a teaspoon each.

Measure the amount of jam with a teaspoon

Drop and roll into a ball

Next, using the same measuring technique for the dough:

• Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball
• Flatten the dough ball into a disc
• Place a jam ball on dough disc
• Wrap the dough around the jam
• Make a gentle, final roll to even the shape and place it on the baking tray
• Score lines on the top to make them more attractive and pineapple-like

Ready for egg wash

Score lines to make them more pineapple-like

Finally, give the tarts an egg wash and they are ready to go into the oven. Bake at 160-170C for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Baked pineapple tarts

Pure pineapple and pastry that melt in the mouth - delicious!

Enclosed Pineapple Tarts: Recipe 2

Adapted from Table for 2... or more by WendyinKK.
I halved the original recipe and got about 80 mini bite-sized pieces.

Pastry
125 gm salted butter
2 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cream cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 egg yolks (keep the remaining 1/2 for the egg wash)
200 gm all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp corn flour

Egg wash: 1/2 egg yolk + 1/2 tsp milk

Filling
About 350gm pineapple jam (homemade pineapple jam recipe here)

Making the Pastry

1. Sift the flour and corn flour together.
2. Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese together until light.
3. Add in heavy cream and beat for 10 minutes.
4. Add in the flour and mix till a soft dough forms. Don't overmix the dough.

Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap and put it in the refrigerator to chill while working on the jam.

As with Recipe 1, I use measuring spoons to ensure a consistent size. To make the mini tarts, I use a teaspoon of dough with a 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

1 mini tart = 1 teaspoon of dough + 1/2 teaspoon of jam

The method for wrapping/assembling the tarts is the same as above, for Recipe 1.

Baked mini pineapple tarts