Pineapple Tarts

I love pineapple tarts, the more butter, the better. Here's an earlier post on pineapple tarts: http://rollingwrites.blogspot.com/2011/06/singapore-pineapple-tarts.html

The thing about eating is that, sometimes ignorance is bliss. The copious amount of butter and sugar added into pineapple tarts is pretty scary. But for good food, some sacrifice is necessary, in the form of additional fats. The first time I did it, I nearly fainted from chopping the pineapple up. I had no grinder, and was using a scissors to randomly hack at the pineapple pieces. But later I found out that there were mashed pineapple in cans- buy that and save your trouble.

Here's a recipe, adapted from rasamalaysia.

Ingredients

For the pastry filling

2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
2 sticks butter/8 oz./1 cup/225 grams butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour)
1 egg yolk (lightly beaten for egg wash)

For the pineapple filling

2 cans (20 oz can) sliced pineapples
10 tablespoons sugar (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon cornstarch or corn flour (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 F.

1) Drain the pineapple slices and then squeeze the extra water/juice with your hands.
2) Blend the canned pineapples until it’s mushy, about 10 seconds. If you don't have a blender, just cut it as fine as possible using a pair of scissors.
3) Using medium heat, cook the pineapple and sugar until most liquid has evaporated, and the filling turned golden. Stir constantly using a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Taste, and add more sugar when needed. Add in the cornstarch (corn flour) to thicken the filling. Let it cool in the fridge.
4) Sieve the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a medium bowl. Soften the butter to room temperature.
5) Add in the egg yolks and the flour. Knead to form the dough.
6) Divide the dough and pineapple filling each into 24 equal rounds.
7) Flatten the pastry dough with the palms and put the pineapple filling in the middle and use the dough to cover the filling.
8) Use your palms to round it up and then shape it into a ball.
9) Brush with egg wash.
10) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light brown.