Pineapple Roll Tarts (Nastar Gulung)

These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth tarts encase a sweet-tart pineapple jam filling, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity.

What is pineapple roll tart?

Pineapple roll tart or known as nastar gulung is a sweet-tart pineapple jam encased by buttery and tender pastry dough. It is called roll tarts because the dough is piped using a special cookie dough extruder with a “teeth” attachment that creates a nice strip design on the surface of the dough. Pineapple jam is place on the dough strip and the dough is rolled over to encase the jam. They are similar in taste with the classic pineapple tart or nastar or this open-faced pineapple tart.

Why you’ll love this recipe

The pastry is tender and crumbly, while the filling is flavorful with a balance of sweetness and acidity. The key is to cook the jam until thick and slightly sticky, ensuring it holds its shape during baking.

Pineapple Roll Tarts

Prep 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Servings 45 pieces (depends on the size)

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Ingredients

0.5x1x2x

US CustomaryMetric

For the pastry:

• ▢ 113 g unsalted butter softened, use European butter. See notes
• ▢ 35 g powdered sugar
• ▢ 36 g egg yolks 2 egg yolks from large eggs
• ▢ ½ tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients:

• ▢ 100 g cake flour plus more as needed
• ▢ 30 g cornstarch
• ▢ 20 g milk powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt

Filling:

• ▢ 400 g Pineapple jam homemade or store-bought, keep it chilled in the fridge

Egg wash:

• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ ½ tsp oil
• ▢ tiny pinch of salt

Instructions

 

Prepare the pastry dough:

• Make sure the butter is really soft but not melting
  
• Combine cake flour, cornstarch, milk powder, salt in a bowl and set aside
• Using and electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until creamy and pale, about 2 minutes. If using standmixer, use the paddle attachment.
  
• Then add egg yolks and vanilla extract mix again until just combined. Don't overbeat it
  
• Add the flour mixture. Use a sturdy spatula to cut the dry ingredients into the butter.
  
• They resemble crumbles
  
• Then use your hand to mix into a soft dough. It will be slightly sticky. If it is very sticky, you can add a bit more cake flour and mix again, but it should be slightly sticky.
  
• Wrap it with a cling wrap tightly to prevent the dough from drying out. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Do not skip the resting part. The dough won't be sticky anymore after resting
  

Prepare the jam:

• The pineapple jam is easier to shape when it's cold.
  
• Divide the pineapple jam into about 8 grams pieces and roll them into round balls or slightly oval shape. Cover and keep them chilled in the fridge while you prepare the dough
  

Shaping:

• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven.
• I use this cookie pump my mom bought from Poon Huat in Singapore. It is made in Malaysia. I can't even find it on Amazon.
  
• I use the tip with straight teeth. It comes with many different attachment, so choose whatever you like
  
• Pinch off some dough and fill it into the tube of the cookie pump. I highly recommend NOT to stuff too much dough into the pump. It's really hard to pump it out. Im not sure if it's the pump I have or what, but if I fill it up all the way to the top, it's almost impossible to push the dough out. It's probably the bad design of the pump. I'm not sure. So, I only fill up a little less than half the tube. It makes my life so much easier
• With one hand holding near the tip of the pump, with the jagged teeth facing down, and another palm on the lever, steadily push the lever down as you move the pump with the other hand to form a straight dough strip, about 8 to 10 inches long.
  
• Place one shaped pineapple jam on the edge of the dough strip and then use the side of a knife or bench scraper to help you lift the dough up to roll over the filling to enclose it, slightly overlapping a bit.
  
• Use a knife or bench scraper to cut. Repeat with the next. You can probably get about 3 tarts per dough strip
  
• 
• Place the shape tarts on a baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart, they don't expand much during baking
  
• Reload the cookie pump again and continue to shape the rest of the dough and filling

Apply 1st round of egg wash:

• Combine egg yolk with oil and tiny pinch of salt. Use a pastry brush to gently apply the first egg yolk coating on the surface of the dough
  

Bake:

• I recommend baking one tray at a time. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven. Let them cool for about 2-3 minutes.

Apply 2nd round of egg wash:

• Gently apply the second layer of egg wash
  

Continue baking:

• Return the pan to the oven, rotate the pan, and continue baking for another 12-15 minutes or until the pastry is lightly golden brown

Cool:

• Let the tarts cool on the pan set on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to let them cool down completely

Don't serve immediately on the same day:

• The pineapple tarts won't look as good and taste good on the first day you make them. That's because we need to allow time for the flavor to develop, or the Chinese term to "return oil". That's when you will see the pineapple tart starts to look shinier and more tender and flavorful. I recommend allowing 24-48 hours before serving them

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

digital kitchen scale

Kitchen Aid Standmixer

Marv’s Recipe Notes

1. If you used tinned European-style salted butter, you may not need 2 egg yolks. Omit the salt calls for in the recipe.  You may only need 1 to 1 1/2 egg yolk. Start with one first and add more if needed

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Roll Tarts

Serving Size

 

1 piece

Amount per Serving

Calories

63

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3

g

5

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

19

mg

6

%

Sodium

 

19

mg

1

%

Potassium

 

17

mg

0

%

Carbohydrates

 

9

g

3

%

Fiber

 

0.2

g

1

%

Sugar

 

5

g

6

%

Protein

 

1

g

2

%

Vitamin A

 

84

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

8

mg

1

%

Iron

 

0.1

mg

1

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Tips for success

1. Make the jam ahead
   Pineapple jam is the heart of this tart. Cooking it low and slow ensures the sugars caramelize, intensifying the flavor. Let it cool completely before rolling it into small balls for easy filling.
2. The best butter for the pastry
   European-style butter is ideal for its higher fat content, which enhances the dough’s richness and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
3. Rest the dough
   Resting the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes makes it easier to handle and prevents it from becoming too soft during shaping.
4. The dough is hard to press out
   Ensure the butter is softened but not melted before mixing the dough. Sometimes, you may need to add a bit more yolk to get the dough to a moist but not too sticky consistency. Avoid overloading the press, as smaller portions are easier to handle. The more you put into the press, the harder it is to press out. I load it less than halfway to make life easier
5. Apply egg wash twice
   Lightly brush the tarts with an egg yolk wash before baking and then after halfway baking for a golden finish. For added sheen, mix the yolk with oil

How to store

Proper storage keeps your tarts fresh and flavorful:
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in a cool, dry place.
Freezing: Place tarts in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.