Traditional Nyonya Pineapple Tarts – Kueh Tart (Kuih Tair)

What is Chinese New Year without pineapple tarts, especially authentic looking Nyonya Kueh Tarts? I used my mum’s old traditional pineapple tart mould and accessories made of brass and wood. Here’s my sharing of my family recipe with slight modifications for health reasons.

The original recipe called for margarine to be used in making the pastry. As you know the trans fat in margarine is unhealthy, so I have substituted it with butter. In addition, I have reduced the sugar in preparing the pineapple jam.

Many households will not have this kind of traditional tart kit, so by all means use the easily available plastic moulds. Making Nyonya tarts is laborious due to the pinching and delicate decorating of each individual tart but nothing beats its authentic appearance.

Hope you will enjoy my video of my version of making Nyonya Kueh Tarts (Pineapple Tarts).

To make this all time favourite pineapple tarts, click on the video tutorial and print out the recipe below.

Thank you

Please click Image or YouTube Link below to view Video Tutorial:

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/YTKbjEk3iVI

Pineapple Jam Tarts - Kueh Tart (Kuih Tair)
Optional: A set of traditional pineapple tart moulds pincher and roller cutter
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Peranakan
Author: Shiokman Eddie
Ingredients
PINEAPPLE FILLING
  • 5 pineapples
  • 5 cinnamon sticks
  • 20 small cloves
  • 320 g fine sugar
  • 80 g rock sugar
PASTRY
  • 8 g salt
  • 750 g plain flour
  • 75 g icing sugar
  • 500 g cold butter
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Egg wash:
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 Tbsp of water
Instructions
PINEAPPLE FILLING
  1. Cut away the skin of the pineapple
  2. Cut pineapples into smaller pieces
  3. Put pineapple pieces in a food processor and blend coarsely.
  4. Separately blend pineapple core finely.
  5. Pour grated pineapples into a wok
  6. Add cinnamon sticks and small cloves
  7. Stir over high heat until most of the juice evaporates (about 20 mins)
  8. Add fine sugar and stir over medium heat
  9. Add rock sugar
  10. Continue stirring until pineapple jam is dry (about 50-60 mins)
PASTRY
  1. Add salt to plain flour
  2. Sieve in icing sugar
  3. Add cold butter, cut into small cubes
  4. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour
  5. Use fingertips to rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs
  6. Add 5 egg yolks beaten with tsp vanilla extract to flour
  7. Mix well and gather it to form a dough
  8. Note: If dough is dry, add cold water 1 Tbsp at a time until right consistency
  9. Place dough in plastic bags and chill for at least an hour or preferably overnight
  10. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves from pineapple jam
  11. Shape pineapple jam into balls
  12. Roll a portion of the chilled dough flat
  13. Use a traditional pineapple tart mould or plastic mould to cut the dough to shape
  14. Place the pineapple jam ball into tart shell
  15. Using pincer, clip pattern around edge of the tart shell
  16. Roll a small piece of dough flat and cut thin strips with a roller cutter
  17. Use dough strips to decorate tarts
  18. For the egg wash, mix egg yolks with water
  19. Brush lightly over the tarts
  20. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175 degree C for 15 mins or until golden brown
  21. Remove tarts from tray and cool on a wire rack
Recipe Notes
  • Tarts can be kept in the fridge and re-heated in the oven at low temp

Also do check out my Facebook Page : for links to other recipes.

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