Bake Along #57 (CNY Cookies) Pineapple Tarts - Open Tart, Melt In The Mouth (Third Recipe)

The cookies I only bake once a year, during Chinese New Year time :)
This year, I used another recipe, but still did the open tart
The texture was very similar to the recipe I made last year
But I reckoned this recipe is easier to make (read: no mixer required - my fave! It used rubbing method)

 

 

Source: The Little Teochew

What you need:
(below is 2/3 recipe of the original)

For the dough:
267g plain flour
34g corn flour
1/4 tsp salt
187g cold unsalted butter (don't allow to soften)
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp cold water
4 tbsp icing sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze: mix 1/2 egg yolk with 1/2 tbsp milk (original recipe used water)

Method:

1. Rub butter into the flour til it looks like fine breadcrumbs (using pointed end of a fork or pastry scrapper). Can use fingertips to continue rubbing lightly the bigger pieces into finer pieces (I did this) Note: Only use fingertips to avoid the butter from melting cos of the contact with heat
2. Whisk egg yolks, cold water, vanilla and sugar til foamy. Add into the butter flour mixture
3. Using fingertips, gently coax all the crumbs into one large dough ball. Do not knead! As the crumbs come together, stop
4. Chill in the fridge for about 10 mins, covered (I did for 30 mins)
5. Roll out til about 8mm thick. Cut using cutter. Arrange on the baking tray about 1/5cm apart. The dough is very oily and buttery, use a small portion at a time. Keep the rest covered in the fridge, otherwise it'll ooze oil
6. Glaze them (the entire surface) then place the pineapple jam balls on the centre of each tart shell
7. Bake for 20-30 mins at 160degC, turn tray halfway through baking

I used recipe from Wendy from Table for 2... or more for the pineapple jam

What you need:

2 large Morris pineapple (yes, I found it!)
400g sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Method:

1. Peel and clean pineapple, cut into chunk, do not discard the core
2. Put half pineapple into a blender, add 1/3 cup of water and blend. Pour 80% of the blended pineapple into a large heavy based wok (not pot - for better evaporation process)
3. Repeat blending with the remaining pineapples with the remaining 20% of the blended pineapple so you won't need more water
4. Cook with cinnamon stick on medium heat til very pasty, no need to stir
5. Add in sugar - it'll turn water again. Turn heat to lower medium and cook til very pasty, stir once awhile only to avoid splattering
6. Increase the heat to high, do not stir, let the base takes on some color - it'll caramelize the jam. Stir once a while til you meet your preferred color
7. The jam will be a little thicker after cooled

Note:
* I find the jam is a little too sweet for me, while the pineapple is not sweet, more to sourish. I think I'll reduce slightly the next time I make this again, perhaps 300g depending on the condition of the pineapple. Texture wise, it's fibrous, really good
* I made two days in advance before the day I made the tart. The next day was for me to roll them into balls. Then the following day I made the tart

 

 

These little cuties are for Bake Along , a baking event organised by  Joyce from Kitchen Flavours, Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids

We are now baking Chinese New Year cookies all the way to 27 January :)