Ultimate Melt-in-the-mouth Malay Style Condensed Milk Enclosed or Nastar Pineapple Tarts

Like I always say...

I won't say that I'm a pineapple tart expert but I do know what are the pineapple tarts that I want!!!

After many years of testing numerous pineapple tarts recipes at here (2011), here (2012), here (2012), here (2013), here (2014), here (2015) and here (2016), I have finally found several pineapple tarts recipes that are outstandingly GOOD and they are:

1) My Best Ultimate Melt-in-your-mouth Nastar Pineapple Tarts at here

These ultimate melty nastar pineapple tarts can disintegrating slowly in my mouth!!!

This pastry dough recipe is simply PERFECT for making nastar pineapple tarts. It is very easy to handle and won't stick to my hands. Plus, its texture and softness is just right to press through any nastar press without causing my thumbs any pain or redness after repetitive pressing. However, I don't really recommend using this recipe to make open faced and enclosed pineapple tarts because the unbaked dough can be a little too soft for shaping and rolling with a rolling pin.

2) My Best Melt-in-your-mouth Open Faced Pineapple Tarts at here or from the book, Bake and Celebrate published by Marshall Cavendish. Bake and Celebrate

It's an easy, fail proof and sturdy melt-in-your-mouth open faced pineapple tart recipe that I always use to bake my open faced pineapple tarts. However, some readers say that this pastry is just crumbly, meaning that it's not melty enough for them. Critically speaking, I don't recommend making this pastry any more melty because melty pastry is obviously less sturdy and can't make open faced pineapple tarts that can hold good amount of pineapple jam filling! Hence, this recipe is my best because it can't be any better than what it is!!!

3) What's next?

Despite that I have tested several recipes at here (2012) and here (2014), I have not find my BEST melt-in-your-mouth enclosed pineapple tarts and I'm still searching...

Inspired by the book, Malay Heritage Cooking by Rita Zahara and also a well-reputed condensed milk pineapple tart recipe by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover at here, I was thinking of creating a Malay style pineapple tarts recipe.

Malay style pineapple tarts? When I was a little kid, I used to look forward for Hari Raya celebrations because I knew that my generous Malay ex-neighbour would give us a plate of her homemade pineapple tarts as part of her friendly gesture. Let me tell you... Her pineapple tarts are unforgettably delicious!!! I remember that her enclosed tarts are typically pale-coloured being minimally brushed with egg wash. And they are buttery, a little cake-like and extremely delicate. So delicate that the tender buttery crumbs would stick onto my fingers when I picked up the tarts and of course, the pastry would just literally melt in my mouth. Hmmm... This is why I always associate my Malay ex-neighbour's melt-in-the-mouth buttery tarts to be the same as all Malay style pineapple tarts! And I hope that I'm right making such generic assumption... LOL!

Based on my memory and several trial and errors, I'm proud to say that I have finally managed to derive an Ultimate Melt-in-the-mouth Malay style Enclosed Pineapple Tart recipe!!! These buttery pineapple tarts are extremely melt-in-the-mouth, a little cake-like and delicate just like my Malay ex-neighbour's ones!!! Plus, I can use this recipe to make nastar pineapple tarts too.

Ultimate Melt-in-your-mouth Malay Style Condensed Milk Enclosed Pineapple Tarts

I prefer not to use the condensed milk pineapple tart recipe in the book, Malay Heritage Cooking by Rita Zahara because it uses ghee and vanilin powder. I don't usually have ghee in my pantry and don't like the idea of using vanillin powder because it is not real vanilla.

Although I had tried and shown that the condensed milk pineapple tart recipe by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover at here is excellent for baking enclosed, nastar and open faced pineapple tarts at here and here, it is still the firm kind of pineapple tarts that is not ultimately melt-in-the-mouth for me.

Thus, I had to create a few recipes and eventually found that this BEST Ultimate Melt-in-your-mouth Malay Style Condensed Milk Pineapple Tarts recipe!!! ... but BEWARE!!! Even though this pastry dough is very easy to handle and doesn't require resting, chilling and any extra flour for dusting and shaping, this baked pastry can be extremely delicate!!! ... so that these tender buttery crumbs WILL MELT in my mouth instantly with absolutely NO biscuity crisp and some crumbs might flake off from the tarts during handling and stacking. So delicate and melty that I reckon that these tarts are even MORE melt-in-the-mouth than my best ultimate melt-in-your-mouth nastar pineapple tarts at here!!!

Hence, you have to be careful when you are stacking these fragile tarts into a cookie jar. You will need pieces of parchment or baking paper or plastic film to be placed on top of every layer of tarts before placing the next subsequent layer of tarts on them. And of course, I won't shake the cookie jar that stores these pineapple tarts!!! LOL!

I wonder if you can see ...
This buttery condensed milk pastry is very delicate!
... and it will melt within the next second when it enters your mouth!!!

Do you want to bake these ultimate melt-in-your-mouth enclosed pineapple tarts? Here's a video showing how I baked these tarts. Please note that the ingredients used and listed in this video are a quarter of the amount mentioned in the below recipe.

Besides using this recipe to bake enclosed pineapple tarts, I have also modified it slightly to bake nastar pineapple tarts. I have added a little less cornflour so that the pastry is soft enough to push through all nastar presses even those that are fitted with very narrow nozzles. And I promise... this recipe won't cause you any pain or redness even after repetitive pressing.

However, if you are using a nastar press that is fitted with thick nozzles, you might want stick to the original enclosed tart recipe to bake your nastar tarts... Although your pastry dough will be slightly firmer to press, the enclosed tarts recipe will work perfectly fine making your thick-crusted nastar tarts to be a little less crumbly to handle. If you prefer nastar pineapple tarts that are melt-in-your-mouth and also a lot less fragile to handle before and after baking, I would highly recommend you to use my ultimate melt-in-your-mouth nastar pineapple tarts recipe at here.

I DO NOT recommend using this recipe to bake open faced pineapple tarts because this dough is too soft to be rolled with a rolling pin and the baked pastry won't be sturdy enough to hold a good amount of pineapple jam filling.

I can use this recipe to bake Nastar pineapple tarts too!

These Nastar tarts are as yummy as the enclosed pineapple tarts.
... with thicker buttery heavenly melt-in-the-mouth pastry!!! YUM!!!

Here's a video showing how I baked these condensed milk Nastar pineapple tarts. The recipe in this video is almost the same as the one shown in the above video except that 1) this one contains less 5g cornflour and 2) it uses a different method to shape the tarts. Please note that the ingredients used and listed in this video are a quarter of the amount mentioned in the below recipe too.

Want more recipes for your Chinese New Year baking?
You might want to try these HIGHLY RECOMMENDED very popular recipes:

Best Sturdy Melt-in-your-mouth Open Faced Pineapple Tarts at here
My Best Ultimate Melt-in-your-mouth Nastar Pineapple Tarts at here
Melt-in-your-mouth Parmesan Cheese Nastar Pineapple Tarts at here
Easy Fail Proof Strawberry Jam Butter Cookies at here
Best Nyonya Butter Cookies / Biscuit Samprit at here
4 Different Chinese Almond Cookies recipes at here
Ultimate Melt in the Mouth Chinese Cashew Cookies 腰果酥 at here
Melt in the Mouth Crispy Chinese Butter Cashew Cookies 香脆牛油腰果酥 at here
Melt-in-your-mouth Pork Floss Chinese Cookies at here
Melt-in-your-mouth Salted Egg Yolk Cookies at here
My favourite Kek Lapis recipe at here

If you want more recipes plus latest updates from me, you can follow me at either my Facebook at here or here or my Instagram @zoebakeforhappykids

Here are the recipes.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature. No cold condensed milk and egg yolk, please!!!

For the enclosed tarts:

Makes about 50

200g unsalted butter, soften at room temperature

40g condensed milk
40g egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
200g all purpose / plain flour with 10% protein
80g cornflour
1/2 tsp salt

For the nastar tarts
Makes about 40-50, depending on the thickness of the nozzle fitted on your nastar press
For the pastry:
200g unsalted butter, soften at room temperature
40g condensed milk
40g egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
200g all purpose / plain flour with 10% protein
60g cornflour
1/2 tsp salt

For the filling:
homemade pineapple jam filling, recipe and demonstrating video at here.

For the thinner egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

Preheat oven at 160°C / 320°F. Line baking trays with baking papers. 

Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter, condensed milk, egg yolk and vanilla for about 1-2 mins or until combined.

Sift flour, cornflour and salt into the butter mixture. Use a spoon or spatula to mix until all are well incorporated. Transfer mixture onto a plastic wrap and use the wrap to knead until mixture forms a soft pliable dough. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for about 30 mins. Do not chill the dough.

For the enclosed tarts:
Roll pineapple filling (about 8g) and divided pastry dough (about 10g) into balls.

Flatten a piece of dough and place a piece of the roll pineapple filling in the middle. Bring the edges of the dough together and press lightly to seal. Roll it in between your palms to shape it into a ball. Decorate the pastry with a pincher if desired.

For the nastar tarts:
Use a nastar press (see video) to press dough into long strips. Roll the dough strip around each rolled tablespoonful of pineapple jam with its ruffled side facing outwards. Cut any excess dough.

For both tarts:
Arrange the tarts on the prepared trays. Use a fine brush to brush the top and the side of the pastry dough with a THIN layer of egg wash. Bake for 20 mins or until the bases of the tarts are light golden. Please note that the baking time and temperature may vary a little if you use make your pineapple tarts in different shapes or sizes.

Allow the tarts to cool slightly on the baking trays for about 10 mins and transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks depending on the type (with or without preservative, with full amount of sugar or sugar reduced) of pineapple jam that you used.

WARNING: These tarts are fragile!!! These delicate tarts need to be handled with care when you are storing and stacking them in a cookie jar. To do that, you will need pieces of parchment / baking / non-stick paper or plastic film to be placed on top of every layer of tarts before placing the next subsequent layer of tarts on them.

Happy Baking

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