Monday, October 30, 2006

Nonya Pineapple and Berry tarts

We celebrated our first Diwali at the new apartment with good friends and great food. Here's what I made for this year's Diwali.
I'm sending this as one of my entries for the festive food competition hosted by VKN of My dhaba
[Tagged with: : ].

Pineapple tarts - speciality of Singapore/Malaysia
Berry tarts- my adaptation for those friends who didn't like pineapples.















Ingredients:


For the pineapple and berry jams:

Crushed pineapple in heavy syrup – 2 cans

Sugar - ¼ - ½ cup
Cinnamon ( 1tsp) or nutmeg powder (a pinch)

For the berry jam click here


For the tart base:

3 ½ sticks butter

½ cup icing sugar

2/3 cup (heaped) milk powder

2 eggs (1 of them used for egg-wash)

4 cups flour

2 tbsp vanilla jello pudding powder



Method:

  • Drain canned pineapple and cook with sugar for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Cinnamon or nutmeg powder.
  • For the berry jam, cut all berries finely and cook with sugar (no need for cinnamon or nutmeg)
  • Cook until the jams start to leave the sides of the pot. Remove from stove and set aside to cool. If the jam is still chunky, just pulse it for 10 seconds on the food processor.
  • For the tart base, first combine butter at room temperature and 1 egg and beat well.
  • Combine the dry ingredients (sugar, milk powder, flour and pudding powder)
  • Add the dry ingredients slowly into the egg-butter mixture and fold until it forms a smooth, firm dough.
  • Roll out the dough to ½ an inch thickness and with a floral cookie cutter, cut out the pastry dough.
  • Press the middle of the flour with the top of a small bottle cap (to make a slight dent to keep the jam in place)
  • Beat the other egg and add 1 tablespoon on milk or water to prepare the egg wash.
  • Place the cookies on a greased, lined cookie sheet and brush them with egg wash.
  • Bake in a 350°preheated oven 5-7 minutes.
  • Now scoop some of the cooled jam onto the cookie and bake it for 7-10 more minutes.
  • Pineapple and berry tarts are ready!

Up close...
















Pineapple and berry tarts

2 Responses:

Rajesh &Shankari said...

Came to your blog thro my Dhaba. My malaysian made pineapple tarts for diwali and I loved it. I have been wanting to ask her for the recipe and now I will try yours.
I am also planning to make the malaysian recipes you have posted..I am all excited

Smitha said...

Thanks for visiting my blog Shankari. I grew up partly in Singapore, so I'm familiar with all native dishes. Now that I in the US, I miss most of these goodies, hence have made an attempt to re-create them at home. Do try out the tarts and let me know how you like them. Keep blogging!