Melt-in-your-mouth Bunny Shaped Pineapple Tarts 兔年凤梨酥 (Rabbit Shaped Kue Nastar)

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 just ripe pineapples

  about 1.5 kg each
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 star anise

  use the minimum if you prefer less spiced aroma
• 1-3 cloves

  use the minimum if you prefer less spiced aroma
• 85 g Demerara unrefined cane sugar
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 160 g unsalted butter

  chilled and cubed
• 200 g plain flour
• 25 g corn starch

  or corn flour (in Asia)
• 50 g Stevia sweetener

  or icing sugar or castor sugar
• 2 egg yolks

  about 60g in total
• 1 egg

  beaten for egg wash
• ¼ tsp fine salt

Instructions

• 1 Cut off top, bottom, skin, core and eye of 2 pineapples. Pat dry with paper
  towel.
• 2 Cut pineapples into smaller pieces. Grate in food processor until pineapple
  chunks become fine pieces of pineapple, but not until it turns completely
  puréed.
• 3 Transfer grated pineapple into large base non-stick pan and boil over high heat.
  Add 1 cinnamon stick, 1-2 star anise, and 1-3 cloves and stir well. Once boiled,
  reduce heat to a simmer.
• 4 The pineapple jam will thicken and liquid will reduce. Stir frequently to
  prevent from being burnt.
• 5 When the liquid reduces to about 10% of the pineapple, add 1 tbsp freshly
  squeezed lemon juice and gradually add 85 g Demerara unrefined cane sugar,
  adjust sweetness according to preference.
• 6 Continuously stir the pineapple jam over low heat until the jam thickened and
  there is no visible liquid. Turn off the heat. Remove cinnamon, star anise, and
  cloves. Allow the jam to cool completely.
  
  Note: If there is still liquid in the pineapple jam after it is cooled down,
  cook again over low heat and keep stirring until there is no more liquid. Store
  in air-tight container in refrigerator until ready to use.
• 7 Chill in fridge. And when ready to use, roll into 6g balls.
  
  Note: size of the jam ball is up to your preference. I'm using 6g jam and 10g
  dough.
• 8 Cut chilled unsalted butter into small cubes (about 1.5cm) and chill in fridge
  until ready to use.
• 9 Add 200 g plain flour, 25 g corn starch, 50 g Stevia sweetener, fine salt into a
  food mixer with paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for a few seconds.
• 10 Add chilled butter cubes to mixed flours and beat on low speed until mixture
  turns sandy.
• 11 Separate 2 eggs and beat the egg yolks. Add the egg yolks into the mixture and
  beat on low speed until a consistent dough is formed. Do not overbeat.
• 12 Remove dough from mixing bowl and shape into a ball. Wrap in cling wrap and let
  rest in fridge for 30 minutes.
• 13 Beat 1 egg to make egg wash.
• 14 Roll out a dough ball (about 10g), make a hole in the middle, place pineapple
  jam (about 6g) in, gently push the edge of the dough to cover the pineapple jam
  completely. Roll into a round shape.
• 15 Use the same dough and make small round balls for the tail and rectangular
  shapes for the ear. Place the round balls and the rectangular shapes on top of
  the main pineapple tart.
• 16 Use a modelling tool [https://amzn.to/3jZko76] (or a small spoon or your finger)
  to 'merge' the ears to the front of the face.
• 17 Use a chopstick to make imprints on the long ears.
• 18 Use a modelling tool [https://amzn.to/3jZko76] (or toothpick) to make holes to
  resemble the eyes.
  
  Note: It's ok to make the eyes bigger as the eyes will 'close' a little when you
  apply the egg wash and right after baking. So the trick here is to make the eyes
  bigger again after apply egg wash and right after baking.
• 19 Place the bunny tarts on a non-stick baking tray (or parchment paper on baking
  sheet) at least 1-2 inches apart.
• 20 Apply a thin coat of egg wash evenly.
  
  Note: the eyes will close a little after applying egg wash, you can make the
  hole of the eyes bigger again at this stage.
• 21 Bake in pre-heat oven at 170C / 338F (convection oven) or 180C / 356F
  (conventional oven) for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
  
  Note: before baking, if the dough is soft, chill in the fridge for about 5-10
  minutes before baking it. The dough should ideally be a little more firm when
  it's put into the oven.
• 22 Once baked, if the eyes become smaller, use a modelling tool or toothpick to
  make the eyes bigger again.
• 23 Allow the pineapple tarts to cool for about 30-60 min before storing in
  air-tight containers.
  
  Note: it's normal if the pineapple tarts crack a little when it's fresh out of
  the oven.

Nutrition Info