Pineapple Tarts

It feels surreal to be sitting here writing this post rather than researching for and writing my thesis. Everyone who's met me would've asked, how does it feel? Do you finally feel free? I think up until now, I don't particularly feel anything, having jumped straight from the thesis wagon to the work wagon without coming down for a stroll in between. If anything, I feel I have less time to spare. While doing my masters, I had a deadline and a big list of things to do. This meant that if I organised my time well and completed what I needed to do for each week early, then I'd have spare time for other things in life, like baking or ahem.. watching drama. Now, however, work takes up a big chunk of my time, and for the rest of the week, I've got activities packed into my schedule like books on a tight bookshelf. There's no room for a lie down in the sun (though.. what sun?) for a casual novel or magazine. 

That being said, this was what I wanted to do. It wasn't what I envisioned doing post-thesis, but I'm happy. I'm finally taking the time and putting in the effort to learn Traditional Chinese Medicine! There's a whole world of knowledge for me to learn and remember and I feel that there's no time to waste. Do you know that feeling when you're doing something that completely aligns with your beliefs and your core? This is how I feel now. Even though I'm at the infant stage and I don't know where I'll be or what I'm going to do with this knowledge in the future, or thinking more realistically, how am I going to build a career or get some income from it, it feels right. There's a voice in my head telling me, don't worry about the future, I'll naturally figure those issues out. Right now, just focus on building my library of knowledge. Everything has a natural order - growth, development, blossom, anthesis, fruiting. I should take this as my period of growth and development, put in the time and effort to water and fertilize, rather than worry about the flower and fruits that will come naturally when the timing and conditions are right. 

Anyway, pineapple tarts! Not to be confused with the Taiwanese pineapple cakes, these pineapple tarts are a must during Chinese New Year in Malaysia. We eat these by the bucket load and wherever you go during that time of year, you'll see these gold gleaming goodies lining the shelves of supermarkets or people's homes. They come in different shapes and sizes, the most common being ones where the pastry encases the pineapple filling, kind of like a miniature sausage roll. They are absolutely delicious. I mean, who can resist incredibly short, buttery pastry paired with sweet and tangy pineapples fragrant with cinnamon and other spices?

Of course, it's getting more and more difficult to get top quality pineapple tarts. The ones outside were probably made with the bare minimum of pineapple, boosted with some textural agent, and the pastry... you'd be lucky if you get ones that contain any trace of real butter. So, making your own pineapple tarts at home is the way to go! Sure, they'll take a bit of time, as all good things do, but they are seriously worth it. And it's for the new year, so you've got to spend some time preparing these golden fortune bringing cookies to bring good luck and wealth for the rest of the year. 

I know Chinese New Year is now over, but I'm thinking wayyy ahead here! You'll have a whole year to practice making these irresistible delights, because trust me, you'll want to make these throughout the year and not just for CNY because they are that good. 

Pineapple Tarts

For the filling:

1 pineapple

3/4 cups of sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

a few barks of cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

4 cloves

For the pastry:

250g butter, room temperature

60g sugar

2 egg yolks (save the egg whites for egg wash)

375g flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp cornstarch

1. To prepare the pineapple filling, first top and tail, then skin the pineapple. Cut the pineapple into cubes and then place in a blender and blend until it reaches a smoothie consistency. Transfer pineapple to a deep pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add in the spices and sugar and cook until most of the water has evaporated and you get a mixture that is roll-able (There should not be any more liquid bubbling in the mixture). Set aside to cool. 
2. For the pastry, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks until well combined. Sift in the flour, salt and cornstarch and mix until just combined. Place the pastry onto a sheet of cling film, roll out into approximately 0.7 cm and chill in the fridge until the pastry has hardened (about 30 minutes). 
3. Using your cookie cutter, cut out the shapes for your pineapple tart. Brush the pastry with the egg whites for egg wash. Take about 1/4 teaspoon of pineapple filling, roll between your palms into a ball and place on the pastry. Press down so the pastry sticks. 
4. Bake in a preheated to 180C oven for about 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack before serving. 

[Happy Chinese New Year!] Chinese Peanut Cookies

Chinese new year is the most important festival of the year. This celebration traditionally lasts for 15 days. Each day has its own meaning and designated activities. During new year's eve, families usually gather to have the reunion dinner 团圆饭. On new year's day, everybody dresses up in red, the auspicious colour. Everybody wishes each other good luck, health and fortune. Some households follow a vegetarian diet on this day as abstaining from meat is believed to ensure good health and luck for the rest of the year. For my household, my grandmother always makes rendang curry, served with bamboo glutinous coconut rice called pulut. Friends and families will visit and be served this dish. 

The second day of new year is when the chinese pray to their ancestors and gods. The chinese people emphasises a lot on remembering and respecting our roots. After all, without them, there will not be us. Without their enormous wisdom and hard work, we will not live such prosperous lives. On the third, fourth and sixth to tenth days, the chinese visits their relatives and friends. As chinese tradition goes, we usually visit the father's side of the family first, then the mother's side of the family. Though tradition dictates that on the fifth day of new year we should stay home to welcome the God of Wealth and restrain from visiting anyone as it will bring bad luck, due to constraints with time, our family does not follow this tradition. Furthermore, many young people of the working class usually has to resume work, therefore this tradition has been more or less neglected. 

On the seventh day of new year, everyone is being wished happy birthday, as it is the birthday of human beings! On the eighth day, we pray to the God of Heaven, 天公; and on the ninth to the Jade Emperor, 玉王大帝. As chinese believe in the importance of give and take, the tenth to twelfth days we invite relatives and friends over for meals. On the thirteenth day, after the enormous feasts we cleanse our systems by eating congee and choy sum. Then on the fourteenth day, preparations for the Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day are made. 

Since migrating to New Zealand, many of these traditions have been neglected. This year, the year of the horse, my year of birth, I've been lucky enough to spend it in my home country, Malaysia! It certainly is a welcomed change to the quietness in New Zealand. As there are so much visiting and entertaining of guests, naturally there must also be lots of food. In Malaysia, the culture is to bring along mandarins, good luck due to their sweetness and vibrant colour, as well as some form of new year snack. At each household, there will also be a huge array of cookies and snacks to offer to the guests. Eating sweets symbolizes a sweet welcome to the new year. This crunchy, nutty, yet short peanut cookie with perfectly balanced sweet and saltiness is my favourite new year snack, along with pineapple tarts. In chinese culture, peanuts represent bloom, growth, prosperity and wealth, due to its name (花生). Beware though, these peanut cookies are really addictive! Be sure to drink some chrysanthemum tea to counter the heatiness of these morsels. 

Chinese Peanut Cookies

Makes 2 trays

300g peanuts

150g raw sugar, blended

250g flour

1 tsp salt

200ml olive oil

1 egg

Lightly roast the peanuts until fragrant and light golden. Let it cool, then remove the skin and grind until fine. Preheat the oven to 200C. Mix the ground peanuts with sugar, flour and salt. Add in the oil and mix well to form a dough. Roll into teaspoon sized balls, place on paper lined tray and press down to flatten slightly. Glaze with the beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.