Bánh dứa are pineapple tarts: pieces of buttery pastry cut with a mould, with a ball of pineapple jam pressed on top. For the family this recipe comes from, they are one of the highlights of going home for Lunar New Year (Tết). The pastry melts in the mouth. It holds together in your hand, then breaks apart once you bite into it. The recipe here covers the pastry and the baking. The pineapple jam is a separate job, and the family recipe for it isn’t included. Plan ahead: cooking pineapple jam can take hours, so make it in advance and keep it in the fridge until you need it. Ingredients The family recipe gives the method but not the quantities. Flour Caster sugar Butter Egg yolks Cold water Pineapple jam, made ahead and chilled A tart mould How to make bánh dứa 1. Make the pastry Sift the flour and add the caster sugar. Using the pointed ends of a fork, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. If some bigger pieces are left, rub them lightly between your fingertips until they are finer. Add the egg yolks and cold water at the same time and bring the dough together lightly with your fingertips. Don’t knead it the way you would bread dough. The fork-and-fingertip technique is what makes this pastry special. 2. Roll and cut Roll the pastry out to the thickness you want between sheets of baking paper or greased paper. Lightly dust both the pastry and the mould with flour, then cut out the tarts with the mould. 3. Add the jam Roll a small amount of jam into a ball and press it onto each piece of pastry. Keep the jam off the sides. Jam smeared onto the flower-shaped edges will burn easily and darken them. 4. Bake Bake at Gas Mark 3 (160°C / 325°F) for 20 minutes. Share:
