Hi Everyone, today we are making these “Lovely Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes”.
It is a crumbly and nearly melt-in-the-mouth pastry with the pineapple jam as the filling inside.

The difference with the Singaporean/ Malaysian pineapple tart is they are typically larger and made in square or rectangle shape.

I personally prefer the Taiwanese version coz the pastries have a rich distinctively crumbly milky taste and filled with a generous portion of sweet sticky chewy pineapple filling inside.

Pineapple cakes filling from commercial manufactures usually made of winter melon and Maltose Syrup so that the filling is extra sweet, heavy and sticky, which is not healthy.

They usually substitute all or part of the pineapple with winter melon, a vegetable in the squash family that is much cheaper than pineapple.

Since winter melon has little flavour, artificial flavours and colours are added to the pastries to make them attractive to consumer, and then Maltose syrup has been added to stiffen the fillling.

For this reason, I would like to show you how to make the healthier style of Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes which is hold up pretty well, so adorable and taste much fresher.

A lot of research went into perfecting these treats. But the end result was wonderful.
The key is the exterior, that’s how it will remain even after it is baked so you want the dough to be as smooth as possible. 

So I actually found two versions of the crust that I liked, and there’s no need to put them in the fridge at all.

The first one I called a “basic dough” for the character’s body. It’s buttery, soft, yet also malleable and sturdy enough to hold its form.
And the second dough that I called the “colouring dough”. It’s soft and easy to work with, even for small details and also colour well with any kind of edible food colouring.

Is there anybody that wouldn’t want to box these as a present ? They are so cute, tasty, photogenic, everthing you could ever want!

They taste amazing when served slightly warm and paired with a cup of hot tea.
The buttery crust is rich and crumbly, filled with fruity sweet sour, chewy and sticky pineapple filling, they are absolutely delicious.

I really hope you Guys give it a try, they are a lot of fun to put together and they are pretty simple too! Love you all!!

LOVELY TAIWANESE PINEAPPLE CAKES
Yield: 10 pieces
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS
Pineapple Filling

• 500 grams Pineapple (Chopped)
• 120 grams Granulated Sugar
• 20 grams Unsalted Butter
• 30 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
  

Basic Dough

• 100 grams Salted Butter (Cold)
• 12 grams Icing Sugar
• 22 grams Egg Yolks
• 152 grams All-Purpose Flour
• 24 grams Milk Powder

Colouring Dough

• 25 grams Salted Butter (Cold)
• 7 grams Condensed Milk
• 3 grams Egg Yolks
• 38 grams All-Purpose Flour
• Food Colouring (Red, Soft Pink, Black, White)
  

INSTRUCTIONS
Pineapple Filling

1. Cut off the pineapple skin, took off the core and coarsely cut them into chunks (if you use canned pineapple, make sure to adjust the sugar level. They will take longer to cook coz the heavy water content in the canned pineapple).
2. Transfer the chunks into a non-stick pan, add in the sugar (since the sweetness of each pineapple is different, feel free to adjust the amount of the sugar accordingly). Cook over medium high heat. Stirring constantly until most of the moisture has evaporated. Don’t forget to adjust the heat level based on the water content that was left in the pan.
   *I suggest using a non-stick pan as it is sticky after when it becomes concentrated.
3. When the pineapple is about to dry, looks translucent and a bit brownish, lower the heat, add in the butter. Stir continously until the butter melted and incorporated in the pineapple (the butter makes the pineapple fillings smoother and easier to handle during wrapping).
4. For the binder, sprinkle in some of the glutinous rice flour. Add it gradually, to make sure that the flour are distribute evenly. Mix until well combined.
5. Take it off from the heat, spread the fillings thinly on a large plate to cool completely.

Basic Dough

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and smooth.
2. Add in the egg yolks, mix well 
3. Pour in All-Purpose Flour and milk powder, mix until all the ingredients just combined and create a dough ball (do not overmix to avoid the formation of gluten, which will make the pastry less flaky).
4. Cover them with a plastic wrap to prevent the dough dry. Set aside

Colouring Dough

1. Combine the butter, condensed milk and egg yolks, mix well.
2. Pour in the all-purpose flour, mix until it’s form a smooth dough.
3. Colour it as needed (remember to always cover the dough with a plastic wrap to keep their moisture).

Wrapping, Decorating and Baking

1. Divide pineapple filling into portions of 20 grams each, and basic dough 25 grams each.
2. Roll each portion of pineapple filling into a ball.
3. Flatten a portion of basic dough (you can do this in your palm or with a small rolling pin).
4. And then place a portion of filling into the centre of the flattened dough. 
5. Gently wrap the dough around the filling, pinching away and setting aside excess dough at the top and where the edges meet. 
6. Gently roll the filled dough between your palms to form a smooth oval ball. 
7. Using some basic dough and white colouring dough for the ears.
   Apply some white colouring dough for the face.
   Black dough for the nose, mouth and eyes.
   Soft pink for the cheeks and tounge.
   Using love shape plunger cutter to create the heart shape.
   And finally, use some basic dough to create her hands and legs.
   *Make sure the details sticks really well otherwise it will tilted or fall down while baking.
8. Bake in the preheat 160°C oven for 20 minutes.
   Remove from the oven, allow  to cool slightly on the pan for about 20-25 minutes, and then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

NOTES

1. The dough will expand a bit when baked in the oven.
2. You can use any food colouring for the “Colouring Dough” (powder, gel, liquid).
3. Store the cakes at room temperature in an airtight container, the crust will have become more tender.
4. Pineapple cakes turning mouldy even when stored in an airtight containers is due to the presence of too much moisture.
   Store pineapple cakes which are cooled to room temperature in an airtight container away from the sunlight for 3-4 days.
   Keep them refrigerated for up to 1 months.