Ingredients
Pineapple jam
4 cans (about 500 g or 1 lb 2 oz each) pineapple chunks in natural juice
1 whole star anise, broken into petals
3 cinnamon sticks
7 cloves
450 g (1 lb) caster sugar

Pastry
400 g (14 oz) plain fl our, sifted
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2/3 teaspoon salt
250 g (9 oz) cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
50 ml (scant 1/4 cup) iced water
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Tart
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Whole cloves

Method

1. To make the pineapple jam, drain pineapple, reserving juice, and chop it very finely in a food processor. Combine with juice, spices, and sugar in a large, wide pot (nonaluminum, preferably non-stick). Stir well over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Taste, then add more sugar if necessary for a good tart-sweet balance.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring very frequently, until the mixture is reduced to a thick, amber-coloured jam, 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Watch it carefully towards the end of cooking, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Let cool completely. Store in clean airtight jars or plastic containers in the fridge.
3. To make the pastry, whisk fl our, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add butter cubes and rub them in with your fingertips or a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Whisk egg yolks, vanilla, and water together and drizzle evenly over fl our mixture. Stir with a fork to bring dough together into a ball. Knead lightly for 5 seconds, then divide into three portions. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
4. Repeat Step 3 with fresh ingredients to make additional pastry. You will need at least two batches of Pastry (quantities given make one batch) to use up the jam. Make one batch at a time to avoid over-mixing.
5. To make the tarts, work with and bake one third of a pastry batch at a time. Pinch off a large walnut-sized piece of pastry and fl atten it about 4 mm thick with your fi ngers. Place 1 teaspoon of jam on pastry and bring up edges to enclose. Pinch off excess pastry and roll ball between palms to make it evenly round. Brush tart with beaten egg to glaze and stick a clove into it. If you like, use a small pair of scissors to snip tiny ‘v’s in the pastry to make tart resemble a pineapple. Repeat Step 5 with remaining pastry and jam.
6. Place tarts on a baking sheet lines with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If tarts brown too fast, lower heat to 160°C (320°F) halfway through. When done, cool on a rack before storing in an airtight container.

This article was first published in the January-March 2008 issue of Singapore Magazine.