My mother was known for making thousands of these tarts. Over time, with fewer relatives
to assist her and as she got older, she simply made them into ‘apples’ topped with a clove
that resembled an apple stem. These round ‘apples’ were made from pastry enclosing the
jam. Finally, she made open tarts with the jam exposed. Open tarts resulted in a drier jam
tart, as opposed to jam enclosed in the pastry which did not have direct exposure to the
oven heat. I have included recipes for both open and enclosed tart doughs.
In the past, the jam was cooked over charcoal in a shallow bronze pot. The bronze gave
the jam its golden colour. Unfortunately, these pots are no longer sold because there are
fears that the corrosion may cause adverse health effects.
The pineapple used was the common sweet-sour variety which has a greener skin. White
sugar was added to make the jam sweeter. Nowadays, you can find sweeter pineapples in
the supermarkets, for example, the honey variety which has a more orange-yellow skin. If
you prefer to sweeten your jam with natural fruit instead of processed sugar, this is a good
option. Note, however, that the honey pineapple is far juicier and produces less pulp for the
jam, so you may have to substitute one sweet-sour pineapple with two honey pineapples.
It is also important to make sure that your jam does not have too much juice residue
as it may leave the tarts mouldy.
makes about 50 tarts
pineapple jam
6 pineapples, skinned and eyes removed
(about 340 g or 12 ounces grated
or chopped)
1 petal from 1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick, about 2.5 cm or 1 inch
3 cloves
2 cups sugar, adjust according to taste
open tart dough
450 g or 3½ cups flour
230 g or 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted
butter*
Salt (optional) to add a tinge of
savouriness to the pastry
2 egg yolks
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 tablespoons water (if necessary)
enclosed tart dough
450 g or 3½ cups flour
230 g or 8 ounces (2 sticks)
unsalted butter*
Salt (optional) to add a tinge
of savouriness to the pastry
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 tablespoons water (if necessary)
50 cloves
egg wash
2 to 3 eggs, beaten
* My mother used the Buttercup brand
of butter which was salted. It gave a slight
savoury edge to the pastry. These days,
unsalted butter is frequently used for
baking, and a little bit of salt can be added
to give a tinge of savouriness.
94 Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen ~ The Housewives Baking Club
