{"id":1844,"date":"2013-02-07T00:35:31","date_gmt":"2013-02-07T05:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theasiangrandmotherscookbook.wordpress.com\/?p=1844"},"modified":"2018-02-08T09:17:54","modified_gmt":"2018-02-08T14:17:54","slug":"pineapple-tarts-chinese-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apa.si.edu\/picklesandtea\/pineapple-tarts-chinese-new-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Indonesian-Style Pineapple Tarts for Chinese New Year!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The snake may not be my favorite animal but I just learned a very interesting factoid about the Year of the Snake<\/strong> which starts this Sunday, February 10, 2013<\/strong>. Just as a snake sheds its skin, this is a good year for making dramatic transformations, whether it\u2019s changing jobs, pursuing a lifelong dream, or discarding destructive relationships and negative influences in our lives.<\/p>\n

Now, I actually have a new appreciation for this slithery reptile.<\/p>\n

I don’t have any earth shattering changes in my life to share (although I did promise myself that this is the year I find direction for my writing), however, I will<\/em> tell you about my favorite new year treat\u2014pineapple tarts!<\/p>\n

\"Pineapple<\/a>

Singapore-style pineapple tarts (Photo credit: chernwei)<\/p><\/div>\n

Pineapple tarts and cookies are popular in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia. And even Taiwan lays claim to a similar pineapple cake. They come in different shapes and sizes, flower shapes being favored in Singapore and Malaysia, whereas simple golf ball-shaped cookies are preferred in Indonesia.Taiwanese cakes, on the other hand, are square or rectangular. Unfortunately, these Asian-style pineapple tarts are not quite de rigueur in the U.S. but that might change!<\/p>\n

\"pineapple<\/a>

Taiwanese pineapple cakes (Photo credit: 7_70)<\/p><\/div>\n

Like all other popular new year foods, there\u2019s a reason why pineapple tarts are served in most Chinese households (in the above regions) during the “visiting” season, the first 15 days of the new year when it\u2019s customary to visit family and friends.<\/p>\n

The Mandarin word for pineapple is feng li<\/em> (\u9cf3\u68a8) which means “phoenix pear,” or more commonly, huang li<\/em> (\u9ec3\u68a8), wong lai <\/em>in Cantonese and ong lai<\/em> in Hokkien (also Fukien). This means “yellow pear” and phonetically sounds like \u201cgood luck comes.\u201d So eating this sweet cookie will bring good luck as well as sweetness in the upcoming year.<\/p>\n

Since moving to the U.S., I haven’t  indulged in pineapple tarts too often. But a few weeks ago, my mum offered me some kue nastar<\/em> (the Indonesian name for them) her friend Linda had made. Oh … my!  Tante (Indonesian for auntie) Linda’s kue nastar are seriously the best I\u2019ve tasted in a really long time\u2014each cookie is a ball of soft, crumbly pastry encasing a golden orb of pineapple jam that achieves its mellow sweetness from good quality pineapples slow-cooked with just enough sugar.<\/p>\n

I asked  my mum if Tante Linda would teach me how to make them. Mum made a quick phone call to her and I had an appointment in her kitchen the next week!<\/p>\n

Tante Linda is from Jambi (it\u2019s both the name of the province and town) on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. She’s proud to say that Jambi pineapples are the sweetest and most flavorful she\u2019s ever tasted. Tante Linda loves her hometown pineapples so much that every time she goes home, she asks her sister to make and pack containers-full of pineapple filling for her to bring back to the U.S.. Making these pineapple cookies with the Jambi pineapple filling gives her a nostalgic taste of family and home.<\/p>\n

\"ingredients\"<\/a>

Dutch butter (brought back from Indonesia) in the red can which Tante Linda calls colloquially”Wijsman” (see ingredient list in the recipe below), is one of the ingredients she had laid out on the counter when I arrived at her home.<\/p><\/div>\n

I must warn you that Tante Linda didn\u2019t do much measuring when I baked with her, instead relying on her many years of experience and her sense of touch and feel. The recipe below comes from her sister who Tante Linda claims is the better baker.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be darned if her sister can bake pineapple cookies any lovelier than these!<\/p>\n

~~~<\/p>\n

Indonesian Pineapple Cookies (Kue Nastar)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"kue<\/a><\/p>\n

Tante Linda takes quite a few liberties with this recipe that she learned from her sister, adding her own flourishes along the way. If you’d like to dress up these little beauties, you can push in a whole clove for a hat<\/a> (they’ll look like tangerines!), or shower them with shredded cheese.<\/p>\n

Makes: about 100 cookies
\nTime: 1-1\/2 hours<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n

500 grams margarine (2 cups, Tante Linda uses Imperial brand)
\n150 grams salted butter (2\/3 cup, Tante Linda swears by H. J. Wijsman & Zonen Preserved Dutch Butter<\/a> which she says makes the cookies fragrant and tasty, \u201cwangi dan enak\u201d )
\n100 grams sugar
\n4 egg yolks, plus 1 more for glazing
\n600 to 700 grams (5 to 6 cups) all-purpose flour (Tante Linda uses Gold Medal brand)
\n4 to 5 tablepoons powdered milk (Tante Linda uses Dancow, a brand from Indonesia. I’ve also seen recipes with custard powder<\/a> too)
\nPineapple Filling<\/strong> (recipe below)<\/p>\n

Directions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.<\/p>\n

In a large mixing bowl, combine the margarine, butter, sugar and egg yolks. <\/p>\n

\"creaming<\/a><\/p>\n

Using a hand mixer, mix on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture turns fluffy and pale yellow.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"adding<\/a><\/p>\n

Add the powdered milk and mix by hand for another minute or two until well incorporated.<\/p>\n

\"pouring--the-flour<\/a><\/p>\n

Add the flour gradually into the mixture and mix with your hands until it forms a sticky pastry dough that\u2019s a little drier than cookie dough but not as dry as bread dough. Tante Linda didn\u2019t weigh the flour but kept adding more until the dough felt \u201cright.\u201d She likes her dough soft, \u201cempuk\u201d so she used closer to 600 grams, but if you\u2019d like a crispier pastry, feel free to use more flour (closer to 700 grams).<\/p>\n\n\t\t