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Pineapple Tarts

MALAYSIA

Pineapple Jam Filled Cookies

SUBMITTED BY

Su Yin

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A buttery tart filled with tropical pineapple jam seasoned with warm spices like cloves and cinnamon, the Malaysian Pineapple Tart is a beloved pastry that blends sweet and spiced flavors in every bite.

Food as a Connection to Heritage and Community

Preparing, sharing, and enjoying food are powerful ways for people to stay connected to their heritage and community. A shared meal can serve as a starting point for understanding different cultures and food traditions. For Su Yin, food became a bridge between her Malaysian and Chinese heritage and her life abroad in the United States.

After moving to the U.S. for graduate school, Su Yin missed the flavors of home but enjoyed exploring new food options in the Midwest. To reconnect with her roots, she began rediscovering her family’s culinary traditions, learning about the rich mix of Chinese and Malaysian cuisine that shaped her upbringing.

The Rich Culinary Heritage of Malaysian Cuisine

Although Su Yin grew up in Sweden, her parents maintained strong ties to their Malaysian heritage through homemade dishes. They often prepared beloved hawker-style foods like char koay teow, jawa mee, and Penang curry mee, along with sweet treats like pandan kaya and fragrant curries.

Malaysian cuisine beautifully represents how migration has influenced food. Chinese immigrants in Malaysia adapted tropical ingredients like palm sugar, pandan, and coconut milk—now staples in Malaysian cooking—to create new and exciting flavors.

The Beloved Tradition of Pineapple Tarts

To connect with her heritage, Su Yin began making pineapple tarts, a pastry she loved as a child. These tarts feature a golden-brown pineapple jam flavored with cinnamon and cloves nestled in a buttery crust. While pineapple tarts are iconic in Malaysia, they are also cherished in Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Traditionally enjoyed during Lunar New Year celebrations, pineapple tarts have become a year-round favorite found in bakeries and grocery stores across Asia.

The Art of Making Pineapple Tarts

There are many ways to prepare Malaysian pineapple tarts, and their shape is often what sets them apart. Some are open-faced with the jam resting on a cookie base, while others are filled and topped with a crisscross pattern to resemble pineapple skin.

Creating the pineapple jam is a true labor of love. Fresh pineapple is cooked with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves for hours until it transforms into a golden-brown, caramelized filling. The combination of tropical pineapple and warm spices reflects the depth of Malaysian flavor traditions—sweet, tangy, and aromatic.

For anyone looking to add a unique pastry to their baking repertoire, the Malaysian Pineapple Tart offers a delightful mix of tropical sweetness and warm spice. The buttery cookie pairs beautifully with the spiced jam, making it perfect alongside tea or coffee.

Pineapple Tarts

Servings 12
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients
  

For the filling

  • 40 oz crushed pineapple in juice don’t drain it
  • 2-4 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-6 cloves
  • 8 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1-2 pinches salt

For the cookies

  • 240 g all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • 170 g unsalted butter at room temp
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 whole egg beaten, for egg wash

Instructions
 

Make the filling

  • Use a food processor to purée the pineapple. Pour the purée into a large pan.
  • Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and sugar. Also add the salt. Stir and heat up the pan. Start with medium heat. Stir a few times while you’re heating up the pan to keep it from burning. Once it starts cooking, you might have to lower the heat. You don’t want it to boil aggressively. No need to stir the entire time during the first hour, but keep an eye on it and lower the heat if it’s bubbling too much.
  • After the first hour or when all the pineapple juice has evaporated, you need to stay very close to the stove and stir more frequently. Turn the heat down as well to prevent the jam from burning. It’ll shift from light yellow to a light golden-brown color as it’s cooking.
  • The jam is done when it’s a thick golden-brown color. It should have reduced significantly to about half of the initial amount. When it’s done, transfer it to a bowl to cool down completely. Remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks.

Make the cookie dough

  • To a bowl, add the butter, powdered sugar, egg yolks, salt, corn starch, and vanilla. Cream until combined.
  • Add half of the flour to the butter mix. Mix everything with your hand. It’ll be crumbly before the butter has been incorporated with the other ingredients. After the crumbly stage, it’ll feel sticky. Add half of the remaining flour and continue to mix the dough with your hands, but don’t over mix it. It’ll still be a little sticky.
  • Add the rest of the flour to finish the dough. It shouldn’t be sticky when it’s done. It’s okay if it feels very soft (it’ll firm up in the fridge). Let it rest in the fridge for an hour or so.

Assemble and bake the tarts

  • Before assembling, prep an oven tray with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat). Preheat the oven 350℉ (175℃).
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and let it soften to make it easier to assemble the tarts (it shouldn’t fully be room temperature).
  • Divide and roll the dough into 30 balls. You can also pre-portion the filling to make assembly easier (a very generous teaspoon is enough for each ball, closer to 1.5 tsp).
  • Flatten one ball of dough carefully in your palm. Work somewhat quickly so your hands don’t soften the dough too much. You don’t want the center of the dough to be too thin (if you can see through it, it’s too thin and it’ll break).
  • Scoop up a very generous teaspoon bit of pineapple filling, closer to 1.5 tsp. Place it in the middle of the flattened dough.
  • Wrap the dough around the filling and it shape into a small log. The bottom side should be facing up when placed on the oven tray as it’s smoother. Repeat this step until you’re done.
  • Make pineapple patterns (hatch marks) using the dull side of a small knife. Try not to cut through the dough, but it’s ok if it happens.
  • Brush a very thin layer of the egg wash on the top and the sides of each tart.
  • Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • When they’re done, let them cool on a wire rack. The inside of the tarts will be very hot, so let them rest for about 15 minutes before eating them.
Course: Dessert
Region: Asia

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About Beryl

I have been in the film and media industry for the past 12 years and have worked for companies including Great Big Story, ABC, CNN, Martha Stewart, News Corporation, Harper Collins and Fast Company.