Pineapple Tarts

In her youth, there was a way the Swallow knew that Chinese New Year (CNY) was coming soon.  That was the time when her mother would marshal her and her siblings to bake cookies together.  There were Pinwheel Cookies, Kuih Bangkit and the siblings' favourite Pineapple Tarts.

Baking late into the night, the Swallow's mother would bake trays and trays of cookies.  Some were sold (a form of income for the stay-at-home-mom), some were given away as gifts during the CNY visitations, and the rest were happily enjoyed by the siblings.  These were special treats as in those days, cookies were considered a luxury, something to be enjoyed only during the festive periods.

As the Swallow loves pineapples (LOL!), she was quick to ask her mother for the Pineapple Tart recipe when she finally had her own nest and oven.  However, due to its time-consuming nature, the Swallow was not able to bake her own Pineapple Tarts until recently.

Pineapple Tarts

PINEAPPLE TARTS (makes about 80 tarts)

Ingredients

• 500g plain flour
• 250g cold butter
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• Pineapple Jam

Method

Cooled Pineapple Jam



1. Using a pastry cutter, mix flour, salt and butter together until crumbs develop.
2. Add eggs, one at a time.  Mix until the pastry forms.
3. Roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted table.  Cut out tart shapes using a 1 1/2 inch tart cutter.
4. Fill the tarts with pineapple jam. 
5. For decoration, add a little knob of pastry on top of the jam.
6. Glaze with a mixture of 1 egg and 1 tbsp milk (optional).



Tools for making Pineapple Tarts
From left, clockwise:
1 1/2 inch tart cutter,
round cookie cutter & pincers 

7. Bake at 180 degrees Celcius until the tarts are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Notes

• If a pastry cutter is not available, improvise with two knives held with a hand.
• If a tart cutter is not available, use any similar-sized round cookie cutter (or even a glass!) and clip the edges of the tarts with pincers.
• For freshness, keep the tarts in an airtight container.

Pineapple Jam

The Swallow can never say it enough...she loves pineapples!

Last year, she tried making Pineapple Tarts using store-bought pineapple paste.  Although it was a quicker alternative, the texture left much to be desired.  This year, the Swallow decided to make pineapple paste from fresh pineapples.  Besides Pineapple Tarts, this paste can also be used as a spread on bread and biscuits.

Even though this process took more time, the end result was a paste that was to one's desirability.  It also came with a sense of satisfaction when her mate and young ones tasted the jam and said it was yummy.  One of her young ones even wanted to eat it on its own!

PINEAPPLE JAM

Freshly cooked Pineapple Jam

Cooled Pineapple Jam

Ingredients

• 2 large pineapples
• 450g sugar
• 2 pcs 1-inch cinnamon sticks

Method

1. Remove the tops, skin, eyes and the middle stem from the pineapples.  Cut the pineapples into chunks.
2. Grate several pieces of the pineapples using a hand grater.  Separate the pineapple fibres from the juice using a fine-mesh sieve.  Set the juice aside.
3. Put the remaining pineapple pieces into a blender.  Add the pineapple juice into the blender.  Blend using the pulse function for a few seconds.  Do not over-blend to avoid breaking down the fibres.  Again, separate the pineapple fibres from the juice using a fine-mesh sieve.  Allow the juice to drain well.  Set the juice aside.
4. Place the pineapple fibres into a non-stick pot.  Add the cinnamon sticks.  Boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the pineapple fibres are semi-dry.
5. Spread out the pineapple fibres in the pot.  Add the sugar.  Turn down the heat to low, and simmer until the sugar has melted.  Do not stir until all the sugar has melted.
6. When the sugar has melted, use a pair of long chopsticks to stir the mixture.  The pineapple fibres would now be in a jammy consistency with a nice golden-brown colour (pictured right).  Allow to cool, then transfer the mixture into a suitable container.

Notes

• Reduce the sugar content if the pineapples are naturally sweet.
• If using this jam as a spread, use a glass container to keep the jam and place it into a fridge.  Eat up the jam as quickly as possible.
• If using this jam in Pineapple Tarts, do not place it into the fridge.  Prepare the jam a day before or when ready to make the tarts (but make sure it has cooled thoroughly).
• Add some syrup or honey into the set-aside juice for a refreshing pineapple drink.  Some chopped pieces of pineapple pieces may also be added.

Stewed Chicken Feet with Mushrooms

The Swallow and her mate enjoy eating together.  When they were courting, they realized that there were many food choices that they had in common.  One of these was chicken feet, whether stewed or as a cold dish.

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is a popular saying, so after they were married and had their own nest, the Swallow sought the recipe for stewed chicken feet from her mother.  Her mother's version of the dish includes dried mushrooms, and it goes well with rice or egg noodles.

Stewed Chicken Feet
with Mushrooms

STEWED CHICKEN FEET WITH MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

• 2 rice bowls dried mushrooms
• 250g chicken feet
• 2 - 3 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 small onion
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 tbsp chinese wine
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• dash of pepper

Method

1. Soak dried mushrooms in water with 1 tsp sugar for 1 hour or until the mushrooms are soft.  Rinse and wash 2 to 3 times with clean water (this will rid the mushrooms of the woody smell).  Soak mushrooms again in water for 3 hours.  Drain and keep the water.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until hot.  Fry garlic, ginger, onion, cinnamon stick and star anise until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken feet and mushrooms. Fry for about 5 minutes.
4. Season with the remaining ingredients.  Add the mushroom water from step 1.
5. Bring the water to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 2 to 3 hours.

Notes

• Chicken feet can be easily found at markets or supermarkets. Another alternative is to collect each pair whenever a whole chicken is bought, store and accumulate them in the freezer, defrost them when the number of feet has been reached, then cook them.
• Deep-fried chicken feet may also be used.

  

  Deep-Fried Chicken Feet
• Chicken feet may also be replaced with pork ribs, pork loin or chicken wings.
• Use Garlic Chilli Sauce as a dipping sauce, if desired.
• This recipe is great for "Stewed Mushrooms served over Spinach" too.  If omitting the chicken feet, replace with a cube of chicken stock.
• A slow cooker may also be used. Transfer everything after step 4 into a slow cooker and cook at high heat for 6 hours.
• Alternatively, cook everything in a thermal pot and follow until step 4. Thereafter, bring water to a boil, then continue cooking according to manufacturer's recommendation. Reheat thoroughly before serving.