Bite-size rounds of short, buttery pastry with a fluted edge, each crowned with a dome of thick, golden pineapple jam cooked down with cinnamon and star anise. The open face shows off the jam, which is chewy and caramel-sweet against the melting pastry. Makes 45 tarts in about 6 hr 35 min.
Prep60 min
Cook115 min
Cooling3 hr 40 min
Total
6 hr 35 min
Servings
45
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch. Laminated and yeasted doughs are easiest to handle one batch at a time; bake extra pans in rounds.
2 ¾ lb (1200 g)fresh pineapple flesh, from about 2 ripe pineapples, cored
Make the pineapple jam: grate or pulse the fresh pineapple flesh until finely shredded but not puréed. Put it with its juice in a wide heavy pan with the cinnamon stick and star anise and boil over medium heat, stirring often, until most of the juice has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
Add the sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring and scraping constantly as it thickens, until the jam is a deep golden, sticky paste that holds a line when you drag a spoon through it, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the spices.
Spread the jam in a dish, cool 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. You need about 315 g; roll it into 45 balls of 7 g each.
Make the pastry: beat the unsalted butter and powdered sugar until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and milk.
Whisk the all-purpose flour, cornstarch and salt together, add to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft dough forms. Wrap and rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick. Press out rounds with a 1½-inch (4 cm) fluted pineapple tart stamp, which also makes a well in the center, and set them 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) apart on the lined baking sheets. Re-roll the scraps.
Beat the egg yolk with the water and brush it over the pastry edges. Set a jam ball in each well and press it lightly into a dome.
Bake one sheet at a time until the pastry edges are light golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Tips
Shredded, not puréed, pineapple gives the jam its traditional slightly fibrous chew.
The jam must be cold and firm before shaping, or it slumps off the pastry in the oven.
If the dough cracks in the stamp, it is too cold; let it sit a few minutes and roll again.
The pineapple jam is a refrigerated preserve, not a canned one; keep it chilled and use within 3 weeks.
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How long does it take to make open-faced pineapple tarts?
Plan on 60 minutes of prep and 1 hour 55 minutes of cooking, plus 3 hours 40 minutes to chill and rest. The recipe makes 45 tarts (45 servings).
How should I store open-faced pineapple tarts?
Keep the cooled tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Refrigerate leftover jam in a covered container for up to 3 weeks; it is not shelf-stable.
Can I make open-faced pineapple tarts ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
The original Singapore and Malaysian form of the pineapple tart: a crumbly butter pastry base stamped with a fluted mould, topped with a mound of slow-cooked spiced pineapple jam and baked for Chinese New Year and Hari Raya. Serve it with chinese oolong tea.
Variations
Pineapple tart balls (enclosed, nastar-style): divide the dough into 40 pieces of about 14 g, flatten each, wrap it around a 9 g ball of cold jam (360 g in all) and roll smooth; bake at 340°F (170°C) for 10 minutes, brush with a second thin coat of egg wash and bake 10 to 12 minutes more.
Pineapple rolls: roll the dough 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, cut 2 x 2-inch (5 x 5 cm) squares, score the tops with a fork and roll each around an 8 g log of jam, seam down, for about 60 rolls (480 g jam); brush with egg wash and bake 18 to 20 minutes.
Clove-scented jam: add 3 whole cloves with the cinnamon stick and remove them with the other spices; cook time unchanged.
Larger tarts: use a 2-inch (5 cm) stamp and 10 g of jam each to make about 30 and bake 20 to 22 minutes.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 45 servings this recipe makes.
90Calories / serving
3.5gFat
14.2gCarbs
1.0gProtein
7.6gSugar
Whole recipe (45 servings):
~4050 cal ·
158g fat ·
639g carbs ·
45g protein ·
342g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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