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
- 5 pineapples
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 20 small cloves
- 320 g fine sugar
- 80 g rock sugar
- 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
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Cut away the skin of the pineapple
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Cut pineapples into smaller pieces
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Put pineapple pieces in a food processor and blend coarsely.
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Separately blend pineapple core finely.
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Pour grated pineapples into a wok
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Add cinnamon sticks and small cloves
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Stir over high heat until most of the juice evaporates (about 20 mins)
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Add fine sugar and stir over medium heat
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Add rock sugar
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Continue stirring until pineapple jam is dry (about 50-60 mins)
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Add salt to plain flour
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Sieve in icing sugar
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Add cold butter, cut into small cubes
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Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour
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Use fingertips to rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs
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Add 5 egg yolks beaten with tsp vanilla extract to flour
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Mix well and gather it to form a dough
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Note: If dough is dry, add cold water 1 Tbsp at a time until right consistency
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Place dough in plastic bags and chill for at least an hour or preferably overnight
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Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves from pineapple jam
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Shape pineapple jam into balls
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Roll a portion of the chilled dough flat
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Use a traditional pineapple tart mould or plastic mould to cut the dough to shape
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Place the pineapple jam ball into tart shell
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Using pincer, clip pattern around edge of the tart shell
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Roll a small piece of dough flat and cut thin strips with a roller cutter
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Use dough strips to decorate tarts
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For the egg wash, mix egg yolks with water
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Brush lightly over the tarts
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Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175 degree C for 15 mins or until golden brown
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Remove tarts from tray and cool on a wire rack
- Tarts can be kept in the fridge and re-heated in the oven at low temp