Pineapple Cheese Tart

Pineapple Tart Filling

Ingredients (A):

10 raw pineapple (1kg pineapple flesh), 200gm caster sugar

Ingredients (B):

2 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 4 blades pandan leaf (knotted)

Method :

1. Cut pineapple flesh into pieces, blend it in a blender until finely paste, remove. Strain well.
2. Cook blended pineapple paste in a non-stick frying pan, add in ingredients(B). Stir-fry over medium heat until slightly dry.
3. Add sugar, keep stirring over medium heat until the sugar is well dissolved, stir-fry the pineapple paste until golden in colour. Remove from heat, remove the ingredients (B). Set aside the pineapple paste filling to cool, ready to use.

Pastry Ingredients :

250gm margarine

60gm icing sugar

2 egg yolks

370gm plain flour

40gm Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp custard powder

2 tbsp corn flour

Topping : (mix well)

1 egg (beaten)

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Divide the pineapple filling into small portions, form it into oval shapes.
2. Combine all the pastry ingredients in a mixer until form into soft dough. Remove, rest dough for 5 minutes.
3. Place some dough into mould. Pipe dough of about 2 1/2 - 3 inch in length, place a piece of pineapple filling on it. Roll the pastry up to enclose the filling.
4. Brush the pastry with some beaten egg, bake in the preheated oven at 160 for 20 minutes till cooked and slightly golden brown, remove and serve.

Almond Cookies

Ingredient

300gm plain flour (sieved together)

1/2 tsp baking powder (sieved together)

100gm icing sugar

1/4 tsp bi-carbonate soda

1/4 tsp fine salt

150gm roasted almond (ground)

170ml corn oil

Method

1. Mix flour, baking powder,icing sugar, bi-carbonate soda, salt, almond together.
2. Slowly add oil and knead into a dough
3. Shape dough into small balls
4. Preheat convention oven at 170c and bake at 150c for 15 mins

Hint : If dough is too wet, don't add in all the oil

Kueh Bangkit

Symbolism also comes in the shape of flower and animal motifs - such as goldfish (prosperity), butterflies(afterlife), Peonies (faith) and chrysanthemums(fortune). These rice flour cookies are sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds that symbolise numerous progeny. Kueh bangkit are typical of the evolution of the cultural osmosis from mainland China to overseas Peranakan communities; their origin being rice cakes baked in the shape of currency as an altar table offering for the departed to spend in their next life.

Ingredients

400gm sago flour

3 large pandan leaves

200 mil coconut milk

200gm sugar

1 egg yolks

1/2 egg white

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg, beaten lightly (for brushing)

sesame seeds (optional) 10 gm

Method

1. Take 2 pandan leaves and cut up into 2 cm pieces. Dry-fry sago flour in wok (preferably non-stick) with the cut-up pandan for about 10 minutes over a low flame until very dry. Remove to cool. This removes most of the moisture and renders the flour light-as-air.
2. Put sugar, coconut milk and remaining pandan leaves to simmer over medium heat. Do not over boil or the coconut milk will turn oily. Remove from heat once sugar is melted and allow to cool completely.
3. Beat 1 egg yolks and 1/2 egg white till frothy and add to cooked coconut milk. Beat lightly for 3 minutes. On the working area, scoop 2 tablespoons of premix flour (sago flour + baking power to coconut mixture. Knead into a soft, pliable dough. Add a little if dough is too soft or add coconut mixture if dough is too dry.
4. Roll out dough to about 1 cm thickness. Use cookie cutters or traditional bangkit cutters, usually paisley-shaped or as stylised flowers, and punch out the shapes. Dust a baking tray with a little sago flour and place bangkit in this, without touching each other.
5. Bake in pre-heated oven (180 degrees c) for 10 minutes until light brown. Cook and store in air-tight containers. They keep for up to a month.