Picture and recipe courtesy of Adeline Lim and Melissa Poh from  www.adesweetie.blogspot.com ,   you can also find them on www.facebook.com/brushesNcream

Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and I can’t think of a better way to usher in the new year than eating one of these tantalising bite-sized pastries. Every time I pop one into my mouth (as I’m doing now), I can’t help but be struck by how the sourish pineapple jam contrasts with the sweet, buttery pastry, and yet they complement each other perfectly, like yin and yang. And that just prompts me to pop another one into my mouth. Can’t help it you see.

The process of making these tarts can be quite time consuming, and some people would rather not go through the whole hassle of baking them at home when you can just buy them readily. But then, store bought ones do not even compare to home baked ones- home baked ones have a more buttery aroma and taste, a barely-holding together pastry that crumbles only in your mouth, the pineapple filling gloriously fragranced and teasing your taste buds...now that’s paradise right there, and they’re not included in the description of mass-produced pineapple tarts.

The pastry is as important as the filling, after all it provides the first impression of the pineapple tarts, before it enters one’s mouth. The perfect pastry would have to be light yet intact, buttery and crumbly in your mouth. There are many tricks on how to achieve the most perfect, light pastry. Using custard powder together with the flour when making the dough is said to give it a lovely, yellow tinge and a desirably crumbly texture. Adeline also mentioned that leaving the dough in the fridge will help to tenderize it as water is absorbed by the flour, preventing the formation of gluten. Too much gluten is the culprit to a tough dough.  To add to it, use cold water when making the dough, use your fingertips to form the dough instead of kneading them, avoid over-handling the dough and work fast especially in hot climates like Malaysia will result in a better dough.

To make the pineapple filling, I would recommend buying unripe pineapple as they are not too sweet, allowing you to concoct the most perfect pineapple filling. Be sure to carefully remove the skin, including the ‘eyes’ and grate the flesh finely. Or, you can be lazy and use the food processor. Adding in the cinnamon or cloves to the pineapple filling works to give them an out-of-the-world taste and a sweet, spice-infused fragrance that lingers very lightly in the air. You would really require a sufficient amount of patience to stand by the stove and stir the yellow mixture till it finally caramelises and reaches a golden hue, its quantity drastically reduced and thickened. The good thing about the pineapple filling is that it stores well in the fridge (because of the high sugar content!), so you can prepare them well in advance before making the pastry and baking them.

Instead of having them only during the festive season, I would highly recommend having them handy at your homes as a delicious treat for guests and yourself, of course. They go really well with a cup of coffee, especially after a heavy meal, and the satisfaction that accompanies each bite is priceless. I should warn you about one thing though...it takes a lot of control to avoid popping them into your mouth instead of into the jars after being baked. Now, don't say I didn't warn you:)

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