Happy Chinese New Year 2011

Another year has passed and for the Chinese Lunar calendar this Thursday marks the new year for us. It is the year of Rabbit and one of my colleagues told me that Rabbit year is always a good year. People born in the year of Rabbit are (quoted from a site) "articulate, talented, and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved, and have an excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky". Now how I wish I was born in the year of Rabbit!

Living in Australia and being away from my family during Chinese New Year means missing the fun of family gathering during new year's eve and the big feast. Also not to be missed are the cookies and sweets that my Mum usually prepares(either bought or gift from friends) for the new year celebration.

So I decided to make pineapple tart since it is one of the cookies that my Mum prepares for Chinese New Year. I have adapted the recipe from GroupRecipes.

 

Ingredients

125g butter

125g margarine

50g icing sugar

3 egg yolks

400g all purpose flour

1 egg yolk extra for garnish

Filling: Homemade pineapple jam

2 pineapples, cut in chunks

1/2 tsp salt

12 tbs caster sugar

1 stick cinnamon

1 sachet vanilla sugar (I used 1 tsp vanilla essence)

Method

1. Blend the pineapple chunks in an electric blender.

2. Sift to drain off excess juice.

3. Cook pineapple, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and let them simmer.

4. Stir until the mixture dry and thick.

5. Beat in egg yolks, icing sugar, margarine and butter with a high speed mixer for about 2 minutes.

6. Fold in flour.

7. Roll the dough and fill with pineapple jam.

8. Place on grease baking trays then brush the top of cookies with egg yolk.

9. Bake in preheat oven at 180C for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Happy Chinese New Year to all readers who are celebrating!
May the new year bring good luck and good fortune for everyone.

Indonesian Pineapple Tart

Pineapple tarts, small bite-size pastries filled with pineapple jam and shiny finishing top. They are very popular in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and are usually consumed during the Chinese New Year season.

I grew up eating this buttery tarts and was once involved in the process of baking these with my 'pastry chef' aunt. They are not on my 'must have' hometown food list, but occasionally I do crave it. My beloved mum is here visiting me and she brought some pineapple tarts along with other goodies!

There are a lot of recipes on the net and different variation according to the country of origin. However the main ingredients for the pastry are butter, egg yolk and cornstarch. The pineapple jam filling is usually made by slowly reducing and caramelizing grated fresh pineapple that has been mixed with sugar and spices.

Warning: These rich, tender, melt-in-the-mouth and not overly sweet tarts are so addictive. The tiny bite-size does not help either as I can easily eat five(5) tarts without feeling guilty.