These pineapple tarts will always have a special memory in my heart as well. When I was in Third year as a medical student at Duke-NUS, I served as Vice President of Community Service in Student Council. One of the activities that we got in touch with was HCA Home Hospice Care, which provides palliative care and activities for these patients with 6 – 12 months prognoses. Services include daycare activities, home visits, pet and music therapy, family photo shoots, making recipe books and last wishes, and even outings to aquariums.
It also became our very first Duke-NUS/YLL/LKC Joint Community Service Project, something I’ve always wanted to have, and for us medical students to continue the spirit of bonding together while doing something meaningful for the community.
Still remember meeting Joshua and Jun Hao, the respective heads of LKC/YLL community service in our student councils at the SGH Kopitiam, where this collaboration was born. Joshua arrived in plain clothes (he was a pre-clinical student then reading Hwee’s O&G Notes), Jun Hao rushed down from Surgery rotation at SGH in scrubs, and I came from Biopolis after a day of cell culture at lab. It was incredible how we represent such different aspects of a medical student’s life, yet share the common goal to contribute to the community. This year, we are welcoming the first batch of LKCMedicine graduates, and we certainly hope to continue these friendly collaborations as medical students. After all, this is the best opportunity we can bond outside of the work setting, and we had a great time meeting each other.
The event was kindly sponsored by SMA and we wrote about this in the SMA newsletter!
The actual recipe was very simple and easy to make for the elderly, students, even those disabled and had to roll with one hand (one of the most hardwarming moments). For the crust, it was a very simple recipe that I could make large batches of the night before. Actual traditional pineapple tart filling for Chinese new year is made with love, passed down recipes from generations, and.. Unfortauntely hours of straining, stirring and labor. But don’t look down on the Phoon Huat premium pineapple tart filling!! It really is super delicious and easy to work with, and nicerly heartwarming to make with a large group.
We then enjoyed them for afternoon tea break together, freshly baked. Definitely one of the highlights of my experience in community service at Duke-NUS, and definitely not the last.
Instructions we provided for the patients:
| Pineapple Tart Pastry method from family friend Method from Sonia from Nasi Lemak Lover Melt-in-Mouth Pineapple Tart Pastry 700g salted butter If making for large DIY events, make sure that ingredients are Halal Pineapple Tart Filling 4 packs of pineapple tart filling |
To make Pineapple Tarts
Cream together butter and condensed milk until light and pale. Add egg yolks one at a time, and beat to combine. Sift in plain flour, and mix slowly to form the pastry dough. The dough is ready when well incorporated and it no longer sticks to your hands.. Refrigerate until time to use. To assemble Roll 8g of pineapple tart filling. Portion 10g of pastry dough, flatten into a disk and wrap it around the pineapple tarte paste. Press the edges lightly to seal, and roll into a neat ball. Brush on egg wash and place in oven at 165 degrees C (fan forced) for 23 minutes Decorate with sesame seeds if desired (and as we found out from the patients, they liked to mark their territories by marking exact pineapple tarts that they made — means we had to sort them properly, but was the most adorable thing to see them so happy of their creations!) |
My Dose of Sugar 