Sunday December 14, 2008
By Faridah Begum
Sinful they may be but pineapple tarts are irresistible to us.
THERE is nothing more decadent than popping pineapple tarts into your mouth, one at a time. Imagine biting into buttery and crumbly pastry only to hit a soft centre of fibrous sweetness.
Pineapple tarts are certainly an all-time Malaysian favourite.
All year round, name any festival, and pineapple tarts is sure to be on hand or at least part of the baking plan.
How the cookie crumbles: Good pineapple tarts taste divine.
It is difficult to imagine a festive table devoid of these luscious and absolutely sinful morsels of delight. No good host or hostess would be caught dead without them, either homemade or store-bought.
The origins of pineapple tarts is said to be truly Malaysian while the art of making the dough look like pineapples is something the Baba Nyonya have perfected.
Very popular in Malacca as a tourist must-have, it is next to impossible to miss the trays or containers of pineapple tarts on Jonker Street.
In fact, you would be hard-pressed to decide which vendor sells the tastiest and most worthy of pineapple tarts.
Simply because most of us are usually unwise to the nuances of good pastry or dough or even the pineapple jam itself.
Any which way, most of us would also happily chomp into as many pieces as possible and simply nod when connoiseurs tell us this is the best pineapple tart or the one in the previous stall was the best.
To most Malaysians, a pineapple tart is a pineapple tart.
As long as it crumbles in our mouth and then gently melts away to allow us to savour the deliciously sweet-sour jam, we are happy, contented, on cloud nine, oh, whatever!
The pastry, either a thin round piece that has pineapple jam in its centre and then covered with two tiny strips of pastry forming a cross over it or a length of pastry wrapped around a moulded cylinder of jam, is quite easy to make.
The tricky part is getting the consistency of the jam and the texture of the pastry right.
Good pineapple tart pastry is usually made with butter and egg yolks, besides plain flour being mixed with cornflour or cornstarch.
The jam, if homemade, is cooked over a slow fire, where freshly grated pineapple is mixed with sugar and spices such as cinnamon, clove and star anise. The jam is ready when it becomes an almost dry mass of caramelised fruit.
The tarts are then put together and baked in the oven and later cooled until it can be packed away, if you get that far!
Among the good places to buy pineapple tarts are at bakeries around Malacca town, if you are not on Jonker Street. It is usually by word of mouth that you can know which are the best pineapple tarts.
In front of the TMC Supermarket in Bangsar, Ah Lian sells good pineapple tarts that are really worth the price as the pastry is just the right thickness and the generous mound of jam is simply too good to resist.
In Penang and Malacca, pineapple tarts are available at every nook and cranny but one should try and taste them before buying as there are many who would hoodwink us into buying what looks like good tarts only to end up with disappointing pieces that are left to spoil in the pantry.
Unfortunately, we must, alas, admit that the best pineapple tarts are always homemade and if you are feeling up to it this festive season, try out some of the recipes that are available online.
Have a joyous Sunday popping tarts!
SMS SENDERS’ PICK FOR BEST PINEAPPLE TART
>Best pineapple tart will have to be Laila’s 03-2093 3651. If order for Chinese New Year, better do so 3 months in advance!
>The best pineapple Jam tart can get from Amy Young in Kota Kemuning
>The best pineapple jam tarts are made by Kak Ani and Mr. Rosli. From Christine Jennifer Danker, Penang.
>Susan Goonting’s home made pineapple tarts
>Drop by Kedai Kek Lemon Gold @ Tmn Seri Taming n ask for Ah Fatt homemade pineapple jam tart u will love it. Qis
>The best pineapple tart is definitely the ones baked by margaret, of cameron highlands. The jam n pastry - wow! [um... where is this place? - editor]
-- The Star News.
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