Okay, it's Chinese New Year Eve and I just baked 2 whole trays of pineapple tarts yesterday. They're the enclosed type, with pineapple inside instead of outside.


What remains of my first tray.

I somehow prefer the enclosed one better because I find the pineapple filling softer and more moist instead of coming out drier and harder when its being baked outside.


Mmmmm... Buttery soft, melt in your mouth pineapple goodness.

Also, I love the melt in the mouth effect that enclosed pineapple tarts give. The buttery soft dough literally just dissolves in your mouth... Not in your hands.


Mandarin oranges.

I usually don't post up pictures of my food exploits because I'm always too lazy to whip out my camera, replace it with new batteries and actually find some good light and a nice angle to take it.

And besides, most of my food isn't done up very nicely in terms of visual appeal. Haha.

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to certain things, one of them being the making of food itself. I require the correct ingredients (and that even means which brand, being the most important) exact quantity, and freshness is an absolute must. To me, baking is a formula.

Cooking can anyhow agar, but baking once you leave something out or forget something, such as whether your eggs are chilled or room temperature, can make a huge difference.

Anyway, I do feel kinda tired rambling on tonight so I shall leave you all with some pictures. Let the pictures do the talking.

Yeah... I know. Cliched. But just bear with me for a little while, won't you?


Ready to be packed into boxes for giving.


I love the little lace tulles... Don't you?


I'm a stickler for glorious Chinese traditions... So here comes the red ribbon!


5 layers.


And the first box is for... Henry.

Anyway, making pineapple tarts is a VERY tedious process. Now I know why it's being sold for 10+ dollars a box outside, it really is very time-consuming, requires neatness, precision and patience.

For example, the making of the pineapple filling itself already takes 2 hours in front of the stove laboriously stirring the pineapple puree to ensure that it is consistently smooth and doesn't burn.

After that, you still have to keep it in the fridge overnight to harden it and make its flavour mellow.

And I haven't counted in the process of hand grating the pineapple into fine puree, and wrapping each pineapple tart individually. It is really quite challenging having to handle such a buttery dough as it almost melts in your hands due to its high butter content, and breaks apart when you try to stretch it to wrap the filling in.

But this is the price to pay for having melt-in-the-mouth tarts. The buttery dough is a winner, overall.

This is my second year making pineapple tarts, last year I just bought the filling itself as I was trying it out for the first time. But trust me, store-bought fillings are not as good, as they don't have such a chewy and fibrous consistency as compared to home-made ones, and are usually too sweet and sticky. Euw.

Anyway, I'm really tired and glad that I finally finished making my pineapple tarts so I can slowly enjoy and eat them now.

Have a happy Chinese New Year 2009!



PS: You know how some people go, "Happy Chinese Niu Year!"...? Riiiiiiight. I suppose it's the year of the Ox. What a new way of saying "new". It is so disgusting and lame, it makes me shiver in horror. Oh wells. Just my two cents. Nmind. 0 Comments