Tangerine Style Pineapple Tarts

This is my last post from Adelaide for now. I'll be flying off back to Malaysia in less than 24hours! I can't wait to bring back the cookies, all the bakings I have done previously and some stuffs I have bought and requested by some friends. These tangerine tarts, they are the last batch of Chinese New Year goodies I've made.

There's a good and a bad story behind these tangerine style pineapple. I didn't make nastar. I don't know why. The mould, I just can't seem to get it right. The opening from the mould yield a very very thin pastry. It makes my jam looks huge. As much as I really love pineapple tarts with lotsa filling, the one I made was way too much. I cannot make open face. The dough just wouldn't roll properly even after chilling because I have used the creaming method. I always have a tendency to overcream stuffs. I ended up making tangerines, something I am comfortable with.

I have to let go of my favourite nastar because I really don't want to repeat all the piping that I did, like thrice the effort just to make decent nastars. I needed to make like seriously, a lot! So bad as in I cannot make nastar but good as in I still can bring more pineapple tarts back and they do look good but I just would have preferred nastar....

I made two batches. One using self raising flour and one using plain flour, both from the same reliable recipe that I have always used when I found it here. The tarts above are made using plain flour wheres the ones below that I have placed in mini muffin liners are made using self-raising flour. I actually like the one with SRF better because they are more fluffy and they do expand a little when baking so the muffin liner comes in handy. It's really not that big in reality.

Talking about pastry, I have edited my pineapple jam post so do check it out. I've added in more pictures and tweaked the steps a bit using what my granny always does. I like her method way better. In fact, I always like anything caramelized.

And nope, I will stick to my chopsticks wire rack. I don't bake cookies often really so when I bake a cake, I use my oven rack as my wire rack. I have too much tools really. But I really need a good pasta maker though so I'm planning to splurge a bit on a good one. I think I can make flaky egg tarts, croissants, puff pastry and danish pastry with it too apart from just making pasta. The maker will help me save a lot of rolling time which I suck at.

These 'Tau Sar Piah' looking tarts are made specially for Aaron because he doesn't like the strong smell of cloves. And he whined I've only made 8 tarts without cloves. Simply because I like them so much better with cloves. They look more tangerine like! Did I mention I wrap the filling in when they are frozen from the freezer. When it is frozen, I work so much more quicker and the skin roll up so quickly and seamless too. I don't need to chill the dough and it did not ooze oil. I love wrapping in filling when they are frozen. They are always more moist when baked and even cooled after days...

And for storing, see if you can get red plastic jar/bottle like this. They are so traditional and typical of Chinese New Year. Again, I have used jumbo muffin paper flattened and spread out to line each layer. The tarts are so crumbly and fragile. And did I mention, yummy! And they fit just snuggly in my little red jar. And they are all of the same size. I NEVER WEIGH MY FILLING AND PASTRY. I'm not bragging but I would love to tell you all what I've done. For tangerines, 1/2 tablespoon of dough to 1 tspful of filling is the perfect proportion. Simply use your measuring spoon, the one with 1/2 tbsp capacity and 1 tsp capacity and measure. There is no need to weigh it in my opinion, just my thoughts. Please don't condemn me.

Layer the tarts in the jar until it is full to the brim/bottleneck. Before screwing the top, place a kitchen towel or baking paper on top and press the cover down. Twist till tightly secured and tape it with sticky tape all around. Baking paper or kitchen towel helps absorb moisture and prevent tarts from turning mouldy too quickly since I always like my jam on the moist side. Apart from that, they are a very good sealer and act as an insurance air-tight. And with the sticky tape all around it, yeah my little red jar of tangerine tarts look as if it's storebought/pasar-malam bought. And I place it under my bed. It is such a good spot, not too cold and never get warm from the summer heat. Anyway, they are all n my hand carry luggage now. I can't wait to go back Malaysia. I'm already homesick now. I will still post from Malaysia if I'm not too busy.

And my fellow bloggers, I can't wait to see all of you!!!!!