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Guyanese pine tarts
Triangular shortcrust pastries filled with spiced homemade pineapple jam
Pine tarts (short for pineapple tarts) are Guyana's favourite bakery treat: a flaky triangle of pastry folded over a thick, sticky pineapple jam spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, with the filling peeking out of the middle. They're sold in every Georgetown bakery and carried abroad in suitcases by visiting family. Their triangle shape sets them apart from the open pineapple cookies of Southeast Asia. Chef's tip: cook the jam until it's thick enough that a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a clean path; runny jam leaks and burns in the oven.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pineapple filling
For the pastry
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 fresh pineapple, 6 ½ oz sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and 1 tsp lime zest in a heavy pan. Cook over a medium heat for 35–45 minutes, stirring more often as it thickens, until golden, sticky and a spoon leaves a clear path. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract, take out the cinnamon and cool completely.
45 minStep 2: Mix 14 oz plain flour, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar. Rub in 8 oz cold butter, leaving a few pea-sized lumps, then sprinkle in ½ cup ice-cold water and press into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line two trays. Roll the pastry 3 mm thick and cut 12 squares of about 11 cm.
Step 4: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each. Fold three corners up over the filling and pinch the edges together to make a triangle with a small opening in the middle showing the jam. Common mistake: overfilling; the seams burst and the jam caramelises black on the tray.
Step 5: Brush with 1 egg and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden-brown. Cool on a rack; the filling is very hot.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does guyanese pine tarts take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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