TAIWAN’S PINEAPPLE PASTRY

I never seen or heard of it until my friend from Taiwan, James shared the Chia Te (or Jiande) Pastry cakes.  The Chia Te pastry cakes are really square bars filled with a fruit paste – similar to the shape and appearance of Fig Newton Bars.  Except the Chia Te bars completely enclosed the filling and is individually beautifully wrapped – then encased in gift boxes which you carry in glossy tote bags.

You get the picture of the attention and care given?

Chia Te's Bakery (or Jiade Bakery) was established in Taipei in 1975 and is known for its pineapple pastry.  Why pineapple?  Did you know that Taiwan was the third largest exporter of pineapples in the world in the 60s and early 70s.  (As of 2010, the top three pineapple growers are Brazil, Costa Rica and the Philippines).  Then the online revolution came along and now the island country is an electronics/IT hotbed.

Pineapple became a surplus setting the motion for local chefs to concoct ways on how to make use of the tropical fruit.  Hence, the birth and evolution of the pineapple cake also known as pineapple pastry, pineapple shortbread, pineapple tart, or “鳳梨酥 fèng lĺ su”. 

I think the more accurate terminology is pineapple squares or fruit squares.

Chia Te offers a variety of pastry and delicacies, including pineapple pastry, cranberry pineapple pastry, egg yolk pineapple pastry (my fave), wife cake (see http://www.scmp.com/article/999237/wife-cakes Wife cakes), milk cake, sun cake and nougat.

The company's cranberry pineapple cake has been selected one of "Taipei's Top Ten Gifts" - a must for tourists

What makes the pastry worth writing about?  The delicious crust is made from butter, and the cream they use is high-quality import from New Zealand.  The filling for the pineapple flavor is really a well-experimented trial and error version of a blend of pineapple and winter melon.  Pure pineapple filling is too tart and fibrous – although the inclusion of winter melon is considered a degradation of quality by some local bakers.

Fortunately, their web site www.chiate88.com in Chinese has an English translation feature. If you are in Taipei, visit the Bakery at: 
No. 88, Section 5, Nanjing East Rd, Taipei 105, Taiwan  Tel:  +886 2 8787 8186

For reviews see:

BestPineapple Tarts in Taiwan, and possibly the world

There are other bakery brands worth trying as well see:

The Who’s Who of Taiwan’s Pineapple Cake Industry

CEREAL COOKIES

I met Mary C Brown who looked like in her 80s at St. James Anglican Church in downtown Vancouver last September 3^rd Sunday after the service.  Originally from England, Mary has been with the church since 1960.

During tea and coffee time with Costco croissants at the Rectory, Mary mentioned she brings Cereal Cookies to the church occasionally. 

She gladly shared the recipe.  October 15^th Sunday, I rendezvoused with her at the church and she gave me a tin of the Cereal Cookies.  The cookies were, as Mary warned, crumbly.  The cookies were good and healthy to eat in a cookie sort of way with all those cereals. 

Mary wrote:

“I often make double the quantity, as they are so good, and keep well. I cook on two shelves. This quantity makes about 40 cookies. I sometimes add dried fruit, ginger, or chocolate chips.

I do not know who Molly is, but was given the recipe by a hospice volunteer, and it is always greeted with acclaim. It tends to be rather crumbly, so I either leave out some of the dry content, or add slightly more oil. I have found that I have to adjust different ovens to find the right heat.”

Molly’s Cereal Cookies

1 cup margarine

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Cream all together

Mix together: (I put them in a bowl, and crush with a mug)

3 1/2 cups of flour

1 teasp. baking powder

1 teasp. Salt

Mix together:  (I put in a plastic bag and crush with mug)

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup crushed cornflakes,

1 cup rice crispies

Gradually stir into the rest of the mix

Roll into 1inch balls, flatten slightly, put onto parchment lined ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 - 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let sit for 4 minutes.

A recipe with a similar name Homemade Cookie Cereal - but different from the above in most ingredients can be viewed at The Stay at Home Chef’s web site.   This site has a video on how to make the Cookie Cereal. 

The Stay at Home Chef has a good idea - to dunk the cereal cookies in milk, just like breakfast cereals in milk.  Now why didn’t I think of that?

BLACKBERRY COMPOTE AND BLACKBERRY TEA at the Riverview TreeFest

The Riverview Horticultural Centre Society hosts an Annual Treefest to bring attention to their mission to preserve and protect the Lands and Trees of the Riverview Hospital complex.

In 1912 John Davidson, Provincial Botanist, created western Canada’s first botanical garden and arboretum on the Essondale Hospital grounds, now called Riverview Hospital.   Located in Coquitlam British Columbia, the Arboretum is a collection of specimens from all over the world.

September 10th 2017 was the 24th year of the Treefest.  An on-going tradition was to serve blackberry tea and blackberry compote on cake – the berries being harvested from Finnie’s Garden within Riverview.

Mary (l) serving blackberry compote on cake - with Connie (r)

The lovely ladies who were serving the compote said they picked the berries every other day in August.

 

Connie shared her recipe for the Blackberry Compote Recipe

·         12 cups fresh blackberries

·         Squirt I or 2 lemon juice

·         Cup of white sugar depending on tartness of berries

·         Heat in stove – do not add water

·         Blend in blender

·         Then add 12 cups of fresh blackberries to give texture to final compote

Mary said she is more measured with the sugar.  She starts with 10 cups of fresh blackberries and pours initially 1/3 cup sugar - then more depending on the tartness of the berries.

Connie said, “I guess you can use the same recipe for other types of berries but I haven’t tried.”

A 1 ½ inch square block of Vanilla Cake from Costco was smothered with Blackberry Compote - topped with a swirl of whipped cream (CAD$3.50).   Verdict?  Good with the Berries Blend Herbal Tea (CAD$0.50).

Donna was in charge of the beverages.  She said she gets her tea from a Maple Ridge tea store simply called T’s – see their web site www.onceuponatealeaf.com.  This year there was no pure blackberry tea so she had to settle with a blend which contains the blackberry essence together with bilberry, elderberry and more. 

On my way back, Connie generously offered me a tub of the compote at no charge.  Thrilled, with trepidation, I held the tub gingerly on the trip home.

One morning I had it on waffles – not a good pairing as I thought it would be because the waffles did not defuse the tartness of the compote.  Took some compote with me to a bakery – saw the cheesecake but decided on the French Crullers.  Better,  

Next time I will try the Blackberry Compote with vanilla ice cream, grilled pork, baked salmon, perhaps pancakes, French Toast, oatmeal, cheesecake, banana-blueberry bread or even low-fat sour cream.  Any other pairing ideas?