Taiwanese Pineapple Tarts (Shortcakes)
Published Jan 28, 2013
Updated Sep 12, 2024
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Taiwanese Pineapple Tarts (Shortcakes) - These contain pineapple paste made of winter melon and flavored with pineapple essence instead of the real fruit.
(You can get all Chinese New Year recipes here, including baking, cakes, savory and dessert recipes.)
For Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore, and those who live overseas, this time of year means one thing: baking time for the upcoming Lunar New Year.
As the year of Snake is just barely two weeks away, every household is busy prepping for the upcoming new year. Spring cleaning, shopping for Chinese New Year‘s foods and goodies for friends, families, and clients, buying new clothes and shoes, and most definitely, making batches of batches pineapple tarts, peanut cookies, kuih bangkit, and more.
Everywhere you go, you will see vendors, shops, hawkers selling their Chinese New Year cakes, and one of the most popular items is pineapple tarts.
On Rasa Malaysia, I have shared a couple of recipes here and here, but this year, I have decided to ask my contributor Ho Siew Loon to share a Taiwanese pineapple tarts/shortcakes recipe, which is no less tasty than the regular ones.
Personally, I prefer Taiwanese pineapple tarts/shortcakes, or 凤梨酥, which is a must-buy whenever I go to Taiwan, or Taiwanese-style bakeries.
They are rectangles or squares in shape, rich, crumbly, buttery, and filled with a decadent filling.
I just can’t stop eating them, and they are especially great with tea.
This Chinese New Year, perhaps you can try making these Taiwanese pineapple tarts.
I am very sure you will love them.
And here is what Siew Loon has to say about perfecting her Taiwanese pineapple tarts/shortcakes recipe.
“I must say that I have been doing a lot of research and tried a lot of recipes on this little favorite snack.
I have just lost count on how many types of pineapple shortcakes I have eaten in order to come out with this recipe.
I shared some of my homemade ones with Bee and she loves them and thinks that I should share it with the readers of Rasa Malaysia.
The taste of Taiwanese pineapple paste (jam) is quite different from the Malaysian/Singaporean version as it is mainly made of winter melon and flavored with pineapple essence instead of the real pineapple fruit.
I hope you enjoy my Taiwanese pineapple tarts/shortcakes recipe! — Siew Loon”
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 490 calories per serving.
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Taiwanese Pineapple Tarts/Shortcakes
Ingredients
- 2 stick butter
- 1/2 tablespoon shortening
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pineapple essence, optional
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk powder
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
Pineapple Paste
- 12 oz (350g) pineapple, peeled, cored, diced (from 1 pineapple)
- 1.4 lbs (635g) winter melon, peeled, seeded, diced (from about 2½ pounds (1.25kg) winter melon wedges)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup maltose syrup
Instructions
- Cream the butter, shortening, and icing sugar until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the egg and essence, if using.
- Fold in the all-purpose flour, corn flour, and milk powder. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 30 pieces and wrap each with the pineapple filling. Press it into a square mold and bake at 170°C (338°F) for 15-20 minutes. Turn it around and bake for another 15 minutes or until brown.
Pineapple Paste
- Place the pineapple in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed, stopping to scrape the sides occasionally, for about 18 to 20 pulses. Pour into a Dutch oven.
- Place the winter melon in the food processor and pulse until very finely shredded, about 20 to 22 pulses. Transfer to the Dutch oven.
- Cook the combined mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the winter melon begins to turn translucent, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the sugar, and cook until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the maltose syrup and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, sticky, and uniformly light amber in color, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until cool. Divide into 1 teaspoon portions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
sorry, cold or room temperature butter?
Room temperature.
can you substitute maltose syrup with starch syrup or corn syrup?
Hi,
Would like to know where can I source for Taiwan pineapple paste from Taiwan?
Thank you.
I am sorry but I don’t.
Hi Rasa Malaysia-
Can I substitute the winter melon filling with my own home made pineapple paste or store bought pineapple paste?
Yes you can.
Hi there,
Can I use whole butter instead of 1/2tbs. Shortening?
You can skip the shortening.
Hello! I would like to make these one month before Chinese New Year. I Wonder if I can cook them and freeze them to store them longer. Will they keep their nice texture and their nice taste?
Thank you very much and great recipes!
Yes, you can freeze the pineapple jam.
I forgot to ask: in the list of ingredients, we need 1 pound 4 ounces of winter melon. Do you mean: 1 pound + 4 ounces?
Yes.
Hello! I would like to make these Taiwanese shortcakes very soon. If I make them one month in advance (one month before Chinese New Year) and put them in the freezer, will they be good to eat again? If so, how long will I have to defrost them?
Thank you!
Love your recipes!! Question, when you use corn flour, is that the same as corn starch? Thank you
Yes, it’s pretty much the same thing.
Hi Rasa Malaysia,
Thanks for sharing this! They look amazing. Just wondering about the recipe – what kind fof shortening and milk powder do you use? Do you use butter or vegetable shortening? And for milk powder – do you use baby’s formula? Thanks a lot.
Hi, what type of square moulds are we supposed to use? Ring moulds? Or is there a special mould?
It’s a square or rectangle cutter, like this: http://www.bakingshop.com/bc/img/CRST-5253.jpg