Note: This is a “cooking-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” post. Recipe and instructions are approximate and to the best of my shoddy memory.

This year, I wanted to try my hand at making pineapple tarts, a traditional Chinese New Year treat. As I didn’t have any pineapple on hand, I substituted some frozen persimmon pulp, cooking it down with enough white sugar (to taste) until it had become dry and paste-like.

While it cooled, I made the pastry, using the dough from House of Annie. In order to make the construction of the tarts easier, I chilled the dough in the freezer for about an hour after making it.

I decided to try a closed tart (as opposed to the open version) to practice my wrapping skills. In the end, I was mostly successful, only a few of my pastries busted open while baking.

The results were tasty; the persimmon does lend itself to a pineapple-like taste but is more delicate. The dough from House of Annie is definitely a keeper; I later used the leftovers for the base a Honey-Caramel-Cashew Nut Slice and it was delicious. Making pineapple tarts is a bit time-consuming but well worth the effort.

Related posts:

1. National Bundt Day 2010 – Persimmon Coffee Cake Bundt!
2. Raw Fooding: Fuyu Persimmon Flax Crackers and Dried Persimmon Chips
3. Mid-Autumn Festival: Taiwanese Mooncake Survey