Our 2016 Open-faced Pineapple Tarts Using Airfryer recipe was a major hit among our fans. Some asked how to bake the pineapple golf balls, so we decided to share the alternative version this year. The basic ingredients are the same, except that... well, it's round and the fillings are enclosed inside the pastry.

Since this year 2019 is the Year of the Pig, we decided to share a more fun version. Scroll all the way down to find out how to make these cute piglet delights!

Golf Ball Pineapple Tart Recipe

[Updated - Feb 2021]

Yield: 28 pieces

Ingredients

Tart crust

(A)

140g plain flour

2 tbs corn flour

2 tbs icing sugar

20g custard powder (see photo below)

a pinch of salt

100g butter, cold and unsalted

(B)

1 egg yolk, beaten

2 tsp cold water/ milk

(C) Egg wash - Optional

1 egg yolk, beaten

1 tsp milk

1-quarter tsp oil

Filling

225g pineapple jam, ready-made

1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder - Optional

Directions

1. Sieve all the ingredients in (A), except the butter, into a cold mixing bowl.

Tips: I usually use a metallic mixing bowl to keep the bowl cold for a longer time.

2. Add the cold butter and gently rub the butter onto the flour until the texture become like fine breadcrumbs. Take care not to overwork the dough.

Tips #1: This is called the rubbing-in method and a crucial point is to keep the batter cold during the process. As such, do use plastic gloves while rubbing so that less heat from your hands is transferred. Use the tips of your fingers too.

Tips #2: Also, use butter that is cut into small pieces so that you can finish the rubbing process faster while keeping the mixture cold. I like to use the small 10g-packs for convenience.

3. Add the egg yolk and gently knead to form the dough. To bind the dough, add a little cold water/ milk (bit by bit) until you get the desired texture.

4. Divide the dough into 2 portions. Wrap in 2 cling-wrap batches and chill for at least 30 min till they become firm.

5. Meanwhile, you can now prepare the pineapple jam. Take out the required amount from the ready-made pack. 

6. Add the lemon juice (and cinnamon powder, optional) into the jam. Use 2 forks to loosen the pineapple jam and fibres, at the same time combining the jam, lemon juice and cinnamon powder together.  

Tips #1: When using jam from the ready-made pack, it is crucial to loosen the jam as it is usually very tightly-packed. You don't want to end up having pineapple tarts with hard toppings!

Tips #2: Ready-made pineapple jam can be quite sweet, so the lemon juice gives a nice tangy taste. However, if you don't like the sour undertones, you can replace the lemon juice with warm water.

7. Roll the pineapple jam into balls of 7g each.

8. Preheat the airfryer at 145 degrees for 5 min. By now, the dough should be firm enough and ready. Roll into balls of 10g each.

9. Roll each ball out flat and wrap the the pineapple jam balls inside.

10. Brush a layer of egg wash if you prefer a more golden-brown look (optional).

11. Bake the pineapple golf balls at 145 degrees for 15 min. If you like it more brown, can continue for another 3 to 5 min.

12. Cool the pineapple tarts well before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Tips: You can store them for up to a week at room temperature, but I would recommend that you put them in the fridge as there are no preservatives. Enjoy!

If you would like to be fancy and try the Rooster version, you will need:

- Black sesame seeds

- Heart-shaped baking decorations

 

1. Follow Steps #1 to #9 above.

2. Add sesame seeds as the eyes and heart-shaped baking decorations for the crown (1 piece), beak (1 piece) and feet (2 pieces). Try to press them in well, so that they don't fall off easily later.

3. Bake the pineapple chicks at 160 degrees for 10 min.

4. Cool the pineapple tarts well before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

For the piglet version, you will need:

- Black sesame seeds

- Heart-shaped baking decorations

1. Follow Steps #1 to #9 above.

2. Add sesame seeds as the eyes and heart shapes for the 2 ears. Try to press them in well, so that they don't fall off easily later.

3. Using a small bit of dough, create the nose. Use toothpick to poke 2 holes for the nostrils. Brush egg wash onto the nose.

Tips: The bigger the nose, the cuter! :)

3. Bake the pineapple piglets at 160 degrees for 10 min.

4. Cool the pineapple tarts well before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

 

Have fun making other fun versions!

Yields 20 pieces

Ingredients

1/4 tsp salt

(B)

3 large sheets of frozen puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Directions

1) Heat butter over a boiling pan until the butter bubbles.

2) Put remaining ingredients of (A) into the pan. Cook over medium fire and constantly stir for 10 min until the apples become soft.

3) Cool the apple mixture.

4) Meanwhile, preheat airfryer at 180 degrees for 5 min.

5) Remove frozen puff pastries from freezer. Thaw for 15 min. 

Tips: Thawing time can be reduced if the puff pastry is placed on top of the warmed-up airfryer.

6) When puff pastries are slightly softened, run a knife to cut into 9 smaller squares. Apply a layer of egg wash around the sides of each square. The egg wash helps to seal the sides later.

7)  Add a spoonful of apple onto the middle of the puff pastry square.

8) Fold down the top half of the square so it becomes a rectangle. Using the back of a fork, push down the edges to seal the apple into the puff pastry. Poke a few holes at the top to enable steam to be released. Brush a thin & even layer of egg wash on the top, bottom and sides of the uncooked apple pie.

9) Repeat for the remaining apple pies. Store in fridge on parchment paper if not yet ready to airfry.

10) Place 4 apple pies in the basket. Bake in airfryer at 180 degrees for 8 min.

11) Turn the apple pies with bottom face-up. Continue to bake in airfryer at 200 degrees for 3 min. The whole apple pie would now be golden brown all over. You are now ready to serve!

  

For more airfryer recipes, click here or follow us! :)

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHedgehogKnows

Instagram: @TheHedgehogKnows

For the Chinese, different food and numbers represent different symbolisms. These in turn affect our diet and actions especially during the festive Chinese New Year (CNY) period. For instance, when we go house-visiting, we usually bring along a pair of mandarin oranges. Oranges (柑橘) represent wealth, good fortune, gold, so it's auspicious and something we like to bless our loved ones with. 

The pineapple is also an important symbol of good wealth, fortune and prosperity as its Hokkien word is pronounced as ông-lâi. It sounds like ōng (旺) "luck" or "fortune"  lâi (來) "coming", so pineapple tarts are usually one of the must-eats during the CNY period.

We all love pineapple tarts as the tangy sour taste of pineapple jam complement well with its lovely buttery crust. However, with each tin of pineapple tarts now costing more than S$30 from hotels, we decided to share our open-faced pineapple tarts recipe - using the airfryer of course. They are melt-in-the-mouth, and homemade food is always cheaper, healthier and without the preservatives.

Have fun and let us know how your pineapple tarts turn out. 恭禧發財 & 新年快樂 to our all readers!

[Update: Jan 2017] If you would like to bake Golf Ball Pineapple Tarts, click here for my other recipe :) 

Chinese New Year Pineapple Tarts

Yield: 20 pieces

Ingredients

Tart crust

(A)

140g plain flour

2 tbs corn flour

2 tbs icing sugar

20g custard powder (see photo below)

a pinch of salt

100g butter, cold and unsalted

(B)

1 egg yolk, beaten

up to 2 tsp cold water - if required

(C) Egg wash - Optional

1 egg yolk, beaten

1 tsp water

Filling

180g pineapple jam, ready-made

1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder - Optional

Directions

1. Sieve all the ingredients in (A), except the butter, into a cold mixing bowl.

Tips: I usually use a metallic mixing bowl to keep the bowl cold for a longer time.

2. Add the cold butter and gently rub the butter onto the flour until the texture become like fine breadcrumbs. Take care not to overwork the dough.

Tips #1: This is called the rubbing-in method and a crucial point is to keep the batter cold during the process. As such, do use plastic gloves while rubbing so that less heat from your hands is transferred. Use the tips of your fingers too.

Tips #2: Also, use butter that is cut into small pieces so that you can finish the rubbing process faster while keeping the mixture cold. I like to use the small 10g-packs for convenience.

3. Add the egg yolk and gently knead to form the dough. If more liquid is needed to bind the dough, add a little cold water (bit by bit) until you get the desired texture.

4. Divide the dough into 2 portions. Wrap in 2 cling-wrap batches and chill for at least 30 min till they become firm.

5. Meanwhile, you can now prepare the pineapple jam. Take out the required amount from the ready-made pack. 

6. Add the lemon juice (and cinnamon powder, optional) into the jam. Use 2 forks to loosen the pineapple jam and fibres, at the same time combining the jam, lemon juice and cinnamon powder together.  

Tips #1: When using jam from the ready-made pack, it is crucial to loosen the jam as it is usually very tightly-packed. You don't want to end up having pineapple tarts with hard toppings!

Tips #2: Ready-made pineapple jam can be quite sweet, so the lemon juice gives a nice tangy taste. However, if you don't like the sour undertones, you can replace the lemon juice with warm water.

7. Roll the pineapple jam into balls of 6g each.

8. By now, the dough should be firm enough and ready. Dust the working surface, cutter and rolling pin with flour.  Preheat the airfryer at 150 degrees for 5 min.

Tips: If you prefer having less flour to clean up later, you can roll the dough out in between 2 sheets of parchment paper instead. But do remember to still dust the cutter with flour! 

9. Remove the 1st batch of dough from the fridge and roll out flat till about 5 to 7mm thickness. Cut into the desired shape/ pattern using the cutter. You should be able to cut out about 10 pieces.

10. Spread the 10 pieces out on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. 

Optional: Brush the crust with egg wash (egg yolk + water) lightly and evenly.

Tips: I like to improvise the steaming rack as my baking tray, as the airfryer works best with good airflow circulation (see photo below).

11. Bake the tart crust at 150 degrees for 6 min.

12. When the 6 min is up, open the airfryer basket and add the pineapple jam balls in the middle of each tart crust. Close the basket and continue baking at 150 degrees for another 5 min till the tart becomes golden brown.

Tips: It is important to add the pineapple jam only at the last 5 min to ensure that it doesn't become burnt and dried up.

13. Repeat Steps #10 to 13 for the other batch of dough.

Tips: It is recommended to work on the dough in batches, as firm dough creates clearer imprints.

14. Cool the pineapple tarts well before storing in an airtight container. 

Tips: You can store them for up to a week at room temperature, but I would recommend that you put them in the fridge as there are no preservatives. Enjoy!

Update (26 Jan 2016)

These are Evelyn Ng's melt-in-the-mouth pineapple tarts using our recipe! She baked them almost as soon as this recipe was posted. Looks so professional, just like store-bought! 

If you have tried this recipe too, share your photos with us on Facebook!