The American Club Magazine Feb - Mar - Apr | 2020

Pineapple tarts are bite-sized pastries filled or topped with pineapple jam. The hokkien dialect for pineapple is ong lai, which loosely translates to "good luck and fortune come". The auspicious name of this pastry makes it a popular treat during Chinese New Year! By Constance Yeo Homemade Pineapple Tarts RECIPE

INGREDIENTS FOR PINEAPPLE JAM • 10 pineapples, large (6 ripe pineapples, 4 half-ripe pineapples) • 700gm granulated sugar • 2 lemons (juice only) • 4 cinnamon sticks • 10 cloves • 8 star anise • 4 pandan leaves tied into knots INGREDIENTS FOR DOUGH • 1kg plain flour • 687gm of salted butter • 3 egg yolks INGREDIENTS FOR EGGWASH • 5 egg yolks

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Wash pineapples over running water and slice into long quarters. 2. Grate pineapple slices and strain grated pineapples. Reserve the pineapple juice in a separate container. 3. Place grated pineapples in a pot on low heat, add pandan leaves, spices and 1/3 of the sugar. 4. Add juice from the 2 lemons into the mixture. 5. Stir pineapple mixture and bring the mixture to a boil using medium high heat. 6. Once the mixture starts to boil, lower the heat to medium and stir the pot occasionally to ensure the mixture does not burn. 7. Add the pineapple juice in the mixture and stir continuously. 8. Continue to cook the pineapple mixture until it starts to brown and dry. 9. Set the fire to low heat and continue to cook the mixture until it turns sticky. Add the rest of the sugar and adjust sweetness to taste. 10. Stir well until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pineapple jam is golden-brown. 11. Remove the pot from heat and set the jam aside to cool. Once the jam is completely cooled, discard the spices and pandan leaves. 12. Roll pineapple jam into small balls (size of a 10-cent coin per ball). 13. Sieve flour and add butter using the rubbing-in method. 14. Add egg yolks and mix the dough. 15. Pinch a small amount of dough and wrap the pineapple jam ball in the dough. The ratio of dough to pineapple jam ball should be 1:1. 16. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Brush pineapple tarts with egg wash before putting the tarts in the oven. 17. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 12 minutes. Remove from oven when tarts are golden brown. 18. Let cool and enjoy!

40 THE AMERICAN CLUB SINGAPORE