Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

Taiwanese pineapple cakes known as 'Feng Li Su' are pineapple tarts filled with slow-cooked pineapple jam wrapped in a thin layer of fragrant buttery pastry. These pastries are Taiwan’s bestseller and a must-buy souvenir. Enjoy them with a cup of Taiwanese Oolong tea.

0 stars

Preparation 30 mins
Cooking 120 mins

Snack

鳳梨酥, Feng Li Su, Pineapple Tarts

Malaysian, Singaporean, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Bruneian

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Nutrition per Serving

94 kcal
13 g
4 g
1 g


Pineapples are synonymous with Chinese New Year. In Hokkien (one of the Chinese dialects), it is pronounced as “Ong Lai” which means “the arrival of wealth”. That probably explains why pineapples are often used as offerings during prayers besides being used in cooking. They are also used to make cookies and snacks.

In Malaysia, the pineapple tarts are tangy, sweet and simply delightful with a hint of spices such as cinnamon and star anise. These cookies are commonly served during Chinese New Year. However, in Taiwan, pineapple tarts or more commonly known as pineapple cakes are not seasonal. They are sold throughout the year and tourists from around the world buy them as souvenirs.

This year, instead of Nyonya Pineapple Tarts, I have decided to make some Taiwanese pineapple cakes. The differences are subtle but definitely worth mentioning.

The Taiwanese version is much softer and buttery in taste and flavour compared to the Malaysian Nyonya pineapple tarts which are tangier and slightly more crispy. So, which is tastier? I will have both anytime! I am loyal to the Malaysian Nyonya version, no doubt. However, I decided to make the Taiwanese pineapple cakes this year for a little variation. To be honest, this version is simpler too. Seriously, no fuss at all.

To successfully create the soft yet firm dough, the use of almond flour (or grounded almond) is needed. This helps to make the dough flakier compared to using wheat flour.

If almond flour is omitted, the dough would end up dense. Just like the dough for Nyonya Pineapple Tarts, it is not supposed to be kneaded for too long. It is best to use a rubber spatula to bring the ingredients together after using a mixer to beat the eggs, butter and sugar.

I baked these cookies 10 days ahead of Chinese New Year with the intention of enjoying them during the festive season but they were all devoured within 2 days! Needless to say, I was pleased with the outcome. I had no choice but to bake a second batch of these delectable pineapple cakes. This time, I made sure to store them in a container secured with an adhesive tape to stop myself from devouring them before the actual celebration. They can be kept for up to 2 months in airtight containers although I doubt they could last that long once you get your hands on them.


Ingredients

Servings:  
1,000 g
pineapple(s)
55 g
sugar (brown)
110 g
unsalted butter
50 g
maltose
40 g
sugar (powdered)
2
egg yolk(s)
135 g
wheat flour
20 g
almond flour
1 tsp
evaporated milk (unsweetened)
1⁄4 tsp
salt

Steps to Prepare

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake Step 1

Step 1 of 5

    • 1,000 g pineapple(s)

Remove skin of the pineapple. Cut the pineapple and remove the core. Chop the pineapple finely. Then, blend the core of the pineapple.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake Step 2

Step 2 of 5

    • 55 g sugar (brown)
    • 10 g unsalted butter
    • 50 g maltose

Pour both parts of the pineapple into a pot and cook at low heat until the juice dries up. Add brown sugar, butter and maltose and continue stirring the pineapple jam until it turns into a golden shade of yellow and is thick enough to form a ball. Place pineapple jam into the refrigerator and shape into balls of 10g each later.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake Step 3

Step 3 of 5

    • 100 g unsalted butter
    • 40 g sugar (powdered)
    • 2 egg yolk(s)

To prepare the dough, mix room temperature butter and powdered sugar until the colour of butter turns pale. Add room temperature egg yolks into butter and sugar mixture. Continue mixing for another minute.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake Step 4

Step 4 of 5

    • 135 g wheat flour
    • 20 g almond flour
    • 1 tsp evaporated milk (unsweetened)
    • 1⁄4 tsp salt

Add low gluten flour, almond flour, salt and evaporated milk. Using a rubber spatula, mix ingredients until it comes together. Do not over mix or over knead the dough.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake Step 5

Step 5 of 5

Roll 14g of dough into a ball and flatten it using your palm. Wrap one pineapple jam ball with the flattened dough. Bake the pineapple cakes in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. They can be kept for up to 1 month.

Published: January 16, 2018


2 Discussions

Helena Cheah
3 years ago

Helena Cheah

HI Grace and Mira, Help!!! I just wrapped my dough wit the jam but my dough cracked and very oily. Do I need to refrigerate the dough before wrapping?? Thanks. Love... <3

Grace
3 years ago

Grace

Helena! :D Was the jam evenly wrapped? Because it will expand during baking. If the dough is too thin, it will crack. I didn't refrigerate the dough but you can do so if it's too soft.

Helena Cheah
3 years ago

Helena Cheah

Grace. After refrigerated, easier to wrap. After the dough back to room temperature, it is soft again. Hahaha. Maybe I didn’t mixed them enough. I think when it almost done, I need to dust some flour to make them stick together only weight them. For my jam, need to cook longer so it’s not soft and sticky. Will try again. ✌🏻✌🏻Btw, even thou not beautifully wrapped, all the pineapple cakes are gone into tummies. Very soft and delicious. Dad said, no need to munch also melt in his mouth. 🤩🤩

Grace
3 years ago

Grace

Yay! Good to know that uncle loved the cookies. I think the jam looked really soft. So do cook it a little longer next time. Looking forward to your next try.

Helena Cheah
3 years ago

Helena Cheah

Yay! Sure. ^3^

Monica
4 years ago

Monica

Hi, Grace. Thank you so much for all the yummy recipes. What is Maltose and where is it sold? Is there any substitute if I can’t find it? I’m in California, USA.

Mira - Community Happiness Manager
4 years ago

Mira - Community Happiness Manager

Hi Monica! Maltose is malt sugar. Substitute it with honey or golden syrup. :) Do share a food snap with us once you've tried the recipe.

Monica
4 years ago

Monica

Thank you, Mira. Will definitely share when I get a chance to make it.

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