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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Recipe: Quick & Easy Pineapple Tarts + Happy Chinese New Year

Firstly, a very Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my Chinese readers and friends. Let's welcome the Year of the Water Snake; I sincerely hope that your year 2013 will be filled with abundance of good health, wealth and happiness. I am really looking forward to meeting all my relatives during this festive period as well as enjoying all the good food. :) Hope that you too will enjoy the celebrations with your family and friends. 

Usher in the Year of the Water Snake :)


A happy and prosperous New Year to all!


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Pineapple tarts are my all-time favorite Chinese New Year cookie. Usually, we would get store-bought ones but this year I decided to try making my own tarts as well as pineapple jam

Other than being utterly delicious, these pineapple tarts also hold an auspicious meaning as pineapple in Chinese sounds like "ong lai" (directly translated as "luck come"). That is why it is common to see pineapple decorations during the CNY period too as everyone wants to invite luck into their home. 


I picked this pineapple tart recipe from one of the cookbooks I got from the Big Bad Wolf Sale - Asian Delights by Betty Saw. It caught my attention since the recipe is called "Quick and Easy Pineapple Tarts". Ideal for a first timer like me. Instead of using a cookie mould, this recipe calls for a cookie press fitted with a star nozzle. My piping got better towards the end, but I still need a lot of practice to get it looking perfect.



I was a little worried that these wouldn't taste as good as the store-bought ones, since it didn't resemble the regular ones that we got. The look and texture of this tart is more like a shortbread biscuit. When I took my first bite, the taste and texture really surprised me... cos it was way better than I imagined. It was melt-in-the-mouth, light and buttery. As soon as it cooled, my kids were in amongst the cookies and popping them into their mouths. I was so happy that they enjoyed it. Homemade pineapple jam just brings it to the next level. We managed to finish the whole batch by evening time. Guess I'll have to make somemore for CNY now!


Big smiles from my kids

Two big thumbs up for mummy's pineapple tarts :) Yay!


Quick and Easy Pineapple Tarts
Recipe adapted from Asian Delights - Betty Saw
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Makes 30

Ingredients
250g butter, softened at room temperature and cut into small cubes
60g caster sugar
1 large egg yolk
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
270g plain flour, sifted
2-3 tbsp cream or milk, as required

Pineapple jam (recipe here)

1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Then, beat in egg yolk and add salt and vanilla essence, mix well. Fold in sifted flour. If mixture looks a little dry, then add in some cream or milk gradually.

2. Put mixture into a cookie press fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe in circles, starting from centre onto greased tins. Fill each hollow with 1 teaspoon of pineapple jam. Bake in a preheated oven (190°C) for 15-20 minutes or until pale golden.

3. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container.








* I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.

I am also submitting this to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIYand Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids.

34 comments:

  1. was bloghopping for pineapple tarts recipes, and every one has such a different recipe! yours def sounds easy and yummy too, so it's bookmarked :) p.s. your kids are absolutely adorable!

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    1. Yea this is definitely quite different from the regular ones u find during CNY. But still nice nonetheless. :) Happy CNY!

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  2. Here's wishing the same to you and your family! Mine's pineapple nuggets...pineapple or ong lai (good luck come) PLUS gold = symbolising prosperity! LOL!!!

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    1. Haha cool! Hope u'll have a prosperous and lucky New Year :)

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  3. Here wishing you Good health, good luck and much happiness throughout the lunar year. 恭祝健康、幸运,新年快乐!

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  4. Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai!

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  5. Your pineapple tarts look so delicious! Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year, Yen!

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    1. Thanks Michele! Glad my family liked it. Hope you're having a wonderful CNY celebration with yours :)

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  6. gong xi fa cai to you, hubby, baby d and baby c! :D very interesting-looking pineapple tarts, definitely different from the usual ones. i'm a fan of the jam, and i like my base to be as buttery as possible, so i think i'd love these ones. i like how bright and cheerfully yellow they look. great pics with the kids eating them :D

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    1. Thanks Sean! Gong Xi Fa Cai to you too. I'll probably try making the more common pineapple tarts after CNY when I have more time :)

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  7. A happy CNY to u and ur family too....may u have a prosperous and delicious year ahead!...hehe =)

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    1. Thanks! And to you too. Lots of delicious eats in 2013 :) (no snake though :P)

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  8. Hi Yen,

    As always, you get a lot of great appreciations from baby C and D. They are very lucky to have you cooking and baking all these delicious food and bakes for them.

    Betty Saw's recipe... Would love to bookmark this and try the too :)

    Wishing you and your family lots of On-Lai, good health and happiness for the coming snake year... Plus lots of fun cooking, baking and blogging forever :p

    Zoe

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    1. Thanks Zoe for your kind wishes. Wishing you a lovely CNY with your family too. I am happy that they enjoyed these pineapple tarts, it's always great when children are appreciative of what their mummy makes :) Makes it very worthwhile.

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  9. These are perfect for CNY. YUM. Your little ones are so adorable. It nice watching them enjoy the lovely treats. :) Wish you and your family a wonderful CNY!

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    1. Thanks Amy! Kiddies love all sorts of treats and gives me their biggest smiles. :)

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  10. Happy Chinese New Year! We had a great meal tonight and will continue to eat and eat for the next few weeks! Gorgeous looking tarts there-I'd love a spoonful of that jam! :D

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    1. Thanks Lorraine! Hope u r having a great celebration... I have been eating so many pineapple tarts over here. Definitely putting on the pounds. Will have to go on a diet after CNY! :P

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  11. Look like butter cookies with pineapple jam , sound good ! May this snake year brings you and your family with good health and luck, Huat Ah!

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    1. Thanks Sonia! I just follow the recipe, didn't know it would turn out like cookies. But still very nice cos it's buttery and light.

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  12. so you're going to bake some more? these must be fantastic! i also got a copy of this book from the BBW sale, just a quick glance thru the book, havent really gone thru it yet.hehe..anyway wishing you and your family a very happy chinese new year , gong xi fa cai!

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    1. Maybe after CNY, cos very busy now. Hehe now I can have pineapple tarts all year round :P GXFC to you too.

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  13. the smiles on the kids are so precious! lovely recipe as always..

    Gong Hee Fatt Choy to You & Your Family! Here's wishing you lots of Fatt, Fatt & Fatt in every way! :)

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    1. Happy smiles, always great to capture on camera :)

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  14. I love seeing your 2 taste tester :D Both are always very appreciative of their Mom's cooking lol Pineapple tart is one on my to-bake list , hopefully I can make some before the end of the month :P

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    1. Haha I will make some more after CNY, maybe the nastar ones which I like eating!

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  15. Hi Baby Sumo, wishing you and family a very happy new year. Gong Xi Fa Cai.

    Wow, pineapple tart, yum yum nothing beat the homemade.

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    1. Thanks Amelia! Happy CNY to you too. Hehe I'm not fussy when it comes to pineapple tarts, I love store bought ones too as long as it tastes good :D

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  16. Hi Yen,
    Love to see your 2 little Bao bei enjoying their mummy's bakes:D

    Your pineapple cookies is kinda shortbread, buttery, light, melt in mouth ? Oh! I love it ...bookmark this .
    Thank again for your sharing.

    Wishing you 蛇年行大运,万事如意,合家安康!
    mui

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  17. I've been seeing pineapple treats and I am determine to make this before next Chinese New Year. It's going to be very dangerous once I make this because it's high likely that I'd finish it all... looks so delicious. If I go to Taiwan, I always get pineapple cake and I finish most of it by myself... very dangerous!

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