Pineapple/Char Siew Tarts (凤梨酥.叉烧酥)

This recipe is taken from Bryan's mom. She made the nicest tarts that I've ever tasted. In the past, I hate pineapples, hated anything pineapple-related. Now, I've grown to love it, and I missed it. No matter how troublesome it is to make these, I'm still gonna make them every year, it's our way of celebrating CNY here in this "atmosphereless" country.

Making the Fillings : (2 pineapples, 200g rock sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon powder)

Chop pineapples using food processor, remember to discard the inner (harder) portion of the fruit. Use ripe pineapples, if it is sweet, may reduce amount of rock sugar. In a pot, place all the ingredients and let it boil over low fire until almost all liquid has evaporated. Strain and let cool.

Making the Pastry : (500g butter, 720g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 4 tbs cold water, 100g fine sugar, 2 egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract) Note : to save egg yolk for brushing on tarts before baking)

1. Using an electric mixer, beat butter (softened) and egg whites for 5 to 10 min. Beat until fluffy. Add sugar and baking powder, and vanilla. Beat until mixed or sugar melted.
2. Sift half the amount of flour into mixture and beat for a few seconds to mix.
3. Using hand, knead the dough and add water (by each tbs) and add the remaining amount of flour and continue to knead until it form a soft dough. Adjust the texture of the dough accordingly by using extra flour or water. Dough shd be soft and if it breaks easily, sprinkle with water and knead again.
4. Divide each dough into equal amount and roll it out on one hand, and feed in pineapple fillings. Make sure you are able to wrap the fillings completely into the dough.
5. Preheat oven at 350 degree F.
6. Place each tart into baking tray, abt 2 to 3cm apart. (There is no need to grease the tray.)
7. You may decorate your tarts, using a fork, and gently press it down from the top.
8. Brush with yolk before baking.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 min.
10. Cool completely before storage.

Actually, on the day of making these tarts, I've got some leftover char siew roasted on the previous day. I suddenly have this idea that I can make them into char siew tarts using the same recipe to make pineapple tarts pastry. Bryan are totally nuts over these char siew pastry.

This is how you can make the char siew fillings :

Using half pound char siew, cut them into small pieces, then mix them with 1 tbs sugar, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice wine, 1 tbs oyster sauce, 1 tbs hoisin sauce and some sesame oil. In a saucepan, bring it to boil until it turns bubbly. Then stir in some cornstarch mixture to thicken it.

Cool to room temperature.

ta-da!! char siew tarts!