Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes (凤梨酥) with 2-Ingredient Pineapple Jam

I’ve been making Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes (凤梨酥) for a few years now, and everytime I make it, my family is the first to gobble them up. This year, I decided to package them up nicely to give away to family and friends, so I picked up a pineapple shaped mooncake press and some cellophane bags printed with New Year greetings. Although this step is completely unnecessary for your taste buds to appreciate them, it sure is a feast for the eyes!

Funny enough, my oldest daughter is allergic to fresh pineapples (and kiwis for that matter). Pineapples contain bromelain, which is an enzyme found in pineapples and kiwis. Canning and heat inactivates bromelain, so cooking down the crushed pineapple even more allowed my daughter to partake in the tradition of making and eating them.

My youngest daughter will vividly recount eating these homemade pineapple cakes while watching the lion dance at our local Chinese Park. The way she speaks so fondly of that memory warms my soul, as she was about to turn three at that time (she’s about to turn five at the time of this writing). It makes me feel like our efforts to parent with intention as people of color are not in vain.

Every year, it has been a tradition for us to present the Spring Festival at my daughters’ school. Typically, we would read a relevant story, lead a craft, (this year we even showed them the basic steps of the lion dance- they loved throwing the lettuce!) and then enjoy some treats. Another Chinese parent in the class and I were reflecting about the experience of seeing our kids’ classmates respond so wholeheartedly towards trying the things that we hold so dear to us. It gives us hope, lots of hope for the future.

I hope these pineapple cakes will give you lots of positive feelings, as it did for us.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes (凤梨酥) with 2-Ingredient Pineapple Jam

Makes: 18-20 pineapple cakes

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 3-3.5 hours

Pineapple Jam:

1 can crushed pineapple

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Pâte Sablée pastry:

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

15 g corn starch

⅓ cup almond flour

Pinch of salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cold cut into cubes

1 large egg

Instructions:

For the pineapple jam:

In a small pot, pour crushed pineapple and applesauce. Simmer for 2 ½- 3 hours, stirring occasionally until caramelized and jammy. Refrigerate after cooling.

For the pastry:

In a mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk until well combined. Add cubed butter and mix on medium- low until shaggy. Add egg and mix just until it forms into a dough. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use, a minimum of 10-15 minutes.

Take a small piece of dough from the mixing bowl in the refrigerator. You want an amount good for 2-3 cakes. Using a weighing scale, measure 20-25 g for each cookie, depending on the size of your mold. Roll into a ball. Flatten into a disc with a rolling pin, making sure the edges are thinner than the middle. If necessary, lightly flour the work surface to protect your dough disc from breaking. Take 1 ½- 2 tsp of pineapple jam and place in the middle of the disc. Take the edges of the dough to meet in the middle and pinch. Working quickly, roll gently between your palms before using a lightly floured mold or press. Freeze your pineapple cakes for 15- 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each pineapple cake with egg wash before baking for 28-30 minutes, or until golden.

Allow to fully cool. These pineapple cakes are freezer- friendly!