Pineapple Tart - traditional shape (gluten free)

The Pineapple tart is a favourite cookie in Singapore and Malaysia and a "must have" delicacy to be offered to relatives and friends who visit during Chinese New Year.  Pineapple Tart - traditional shape is very pretty but does take time & effort.  The Pineapple Tart itself is tangy sweet pineapple jam encased in a buttery, crumbly pastry. Yum! To make pineapple tart in the traditional open faced shape, you would need a pineapple tart mould. A pineapple tart mould is really a cookie cutter with a deepened centre to hold the pineapple jam.  If you can't get a ready made pineapple tart mould, you can use a normal cookie cutter and a bottle cap to make the indentation in the centre. My video below shows both the use of the pineapple tart mould and the alternative make-shift mould using the cookie cutter and bottle cap.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/0sfdFLvj3w0

PINEAPPLE JAM 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large pineapple (chopped till fine)

• Sugar (one part of sugar to one part of chopped pineapple)

• 2 cloves

• 1/2 star anise

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

METHOD

1. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and cook over moderately high heat. Stir frequently until the juice starts to dry up.

2. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until the mixture thickens and achieve a dry jam like consistency. Taste the jam and adjust taste to your liking.

3. Roll one teaspoon of jam into a ball (using a teaspoon and an ice cream scoop - see video). Do the same with the rest of the pineapple jam and set aside in the fridge.

PASTRY 

INGREDIENTS

• 180 gm gluten free self raising flour

• 90 gm butter

• ½ tablespoon raw sugar

• Pinch of salt

• ½ egg yolk (lightly beaten)

• 2 tbsp hot water

• Beaten egg white for glaze

• Cloves for apple shape tart

METHOD

1. Put flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl.

2. Add butter and rub with fingertips till flour resembles bread crumbs.

3. Mix in the beaten egg yolk and then hot water.

4. Knead to form a dough. Set aside in the fridge for 30 mins to firm up the pastry.

5. Divide dough into 4 rolls. Work on 1 roll at a time, keeping the rest chilled in the fridge.

6. Roll out the pastry to 3 mm thick and cut using pineapple tart mould. If using cookie cutter, choose an appropriate size round cookie cutter (3 cm in diameter) and a smaller bottle cap (2.5 cm diameter). Cut the pastry into 4 pieces and work on a piece at a time. Flatten pastry to a flat round disc (3 mm thick). Cut using a cookie cutter. Place bottle cap in the middle and press down to create an indentation.     

7. Place the cut pastry onto a grease proof baking paper.

8. Place a ball of pineapple jam into the indented part of the pastry. Cut some strips of pastry, roll them into long strips and place them across the top of the jam.

9. Glaze with beaten egg white.

10. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 20 mins till light golden brown. Remove tarts to a wire rack to cool.