Pineapple Cookies

INGREDIENTS

PINEAPPLE FILLING

• 1 can crushed pineapples 440g can juice not syrup
• 100g sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 star anise
• 1 whole clove
• ½ tsp ground clove

COOKIE DOUGH

• 125g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 25g icing sugar pure
• 1 egg yolk
• 180g cake flour + 1/8 tsp table salt (sifted together)

EGG WASH

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbs milk

METHOD

PINEAPPLE FILLING

1. Strain the crushed pineapple until quite dry.
2. Add sugar and star anise, cinnamon stick and clove.
3. Simmer the mix in a saucepan until the mixture is quite dry (it should be stiff and holds it shape). Stir it constantly to avoid it burning.
4. Add ground cloves and cinnamon. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes or until filling is dry and amber coloured
5. Leave to cool and shape into small elongated tubes (like rugby ball shapes)
6. Damp hands with water or oil to avoid jam sticking when shaping

COOKIE DOUGH

1. Preheat oven at 170°C fan forced.
2. Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper/silicon mat
3. Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy
4. Beat in egg yolk, making sure it is fully incorporated into the mixture.
5. Fold in ½ of the sifted ingredients, mixing well.
6. Add the other ½ of the sifted ingredient and mix into a firm dough using hand.
7. Flatten into a disc, cling wrap and chill briefly for 5 minutes
8. Lightly flour surface with icing sugar, roll dough out to 0.5cm thickness. Cut edges straight
9. Place pineapple tube on edge of dough, using a knife, cut an equal width strip about 10cm long
10. Roll up the dough to enclose the jam ball.
11. Cut off any excess dough so that dough does not overlap the dough but enough to seal.
12. Once all balls have been rolled up, make a criss-cross pattern on top with a blunt dinner knife edge
13. Rest dough in fridge to chill a bit.
14. Beat egg yolk and milk together with a fork.
15. Brush dough with egg wash.
16. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
17. Remove and cool on racks

Alternative:

You can just make open cookies where you simply roll the filing into round balls, roll out the cookie dough and cut shape using cookie cutter (I like the flower shape). Gently press the ball of filling into the cut shape and decorate as you like. Baking time is similar as above.