Chinese New Year & Pineapple Tarts

And so we begin a new Chinese Year , the year of the Rat Mouse ( Mouse sounds cuter doesn't it?).
This Friday marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations (info:- the chinese follow the moon calendar, and the chinese new year celebrations usually last for 15 days till the next full moon).
Although I didn't get much of a chance to celebrate it this year (was in fact working ), I did ease my homesickness a little by baking myself a nice batch of pineapple tarts.

Pineapple tarts are a very Chinese New Yearsy snack. During the New Year period, almost everyone stocks up their homes with pineapple tarts. I really can't remember where I got this recipe from... , but the one who came up with this is definitely a Genius! I've seen it repeated in some other recipe blogs and it's no wonder as well, considering what a great hit it is with family and friends.

Pineapple filling 

Pastry dough

1. Sift the flour, salt and icing sugar in a mixing bowl.

2. Beat the egg yolk and add that, together with the ice cold water and essence to the flour mixture. Rub in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Working with little balls of pastry at each time, add the pineapple jam to the middle of the pastry and close it up

4. Place tarts on a baking tray and glaze with beaten egg.

5. Bake in a preheated over at 180°C for 15 mins. Reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue to bake for another 10 mins or till it turns golden.