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The Spark That Inspired My Baking Journey
Sometimes, inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. For me, it began with a simple walk past a bakery in central Singapore. The shop windows were lined with tubs of golden pineapple tarts, each one a promise of sweetness. Drawn in, I stepped inside, ready to buy a box.
But the shopkeeper’s words stopped me short: “Did you place an order?”
When I said no, his reply was blunt—“Then we can’t sell to you.” He turned away, leaving me both surprised and a little angry.
What could have ended as disappointment became the turning point of my story. Instead of walking home empty-handed, I went to the nearby hawker centre, bought two pineapples, and decided to make my own jam and tarts.
At that time, baking was completely foreign to me. I had never attended a class, never baked cookies, and hadn’t even taken home economics in school. I had no recipe to follow. But I did have something more valuable: family. My aunt (婶婶), known for her baking skills, guided me patiently over the phone. My mother-in-law lent her support as well. With their encouragement, I embarked on my very first attempt at pineapple tarts.
This was before the age of Google recipes, when finding instructions wasn’t as simple as a quick search. All I had were verbal directions, intuition, and determination. Yet from that moment, I discovered the joy of creating something with my own hands.
What began as frustration at a bakery became the spark that ignited my love for baking. It taught me that inspiration often hides in challenges, and that with courage, guidance, and a willingness to try, we can turn obstacles into opportunities. My first pineapple tarts were more than just cookies—they were the beginning of a journey that continues to bring me joy today.
God’s Humor and Higher Ways - Looking back, I can’t help but smile at how God works in mysterious and even humorous ways. He placed certain people in my path—sometimes through their indifference or rudeness—not to discourage me, but to inspire me to begin my baking journey.
It reminds me of the words in Isaiah:
“My thoughts are not like your thoughts, and your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return without watering the ground. They cause the plants to sprout and grow, making seeds for the farmer and bread for the people. The same thing is true of the words I speak. They will not return to me empty. They will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent them.” (Isaiah 55:8–11)
What began as a frustrating encounter at a bakery became the seed of something greater. Just as rain nourishes the earth, God’s word nourishes our lives, bringing forth fruit in ways we cannot predict. My first pineapple tarts were not just cookies—they were a testimony of God’s higher plans, turning disappointment into inspiration.
All thanks be to God, whose ways are always higher, and whose humor often hides blessings in disguise. :)
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Catherine's Cooking Journal
Ingredients (Pastry- yield about 75pcs):
360g plain flour
50g milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
250g soft cold butter( I use salted)
1 eggyolk + 1 whole egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg for eggwash
Method:
Put all the ingredients ( except egg and vanilla ) into a big bowl. Rub the dry ingredients with butter using your fingertips till it resemble breadcrumb. Add egg and vanilla. Continue to work into a soft dough. Do not over work.
Place dough on a working board, with a rolling pin. roll it flat. Use a pineapple tart cutter, cut into shape. Place the cookie in a tray with baking paper. Place the jam on top of the pastry. Eggwash - beat the egg with a fork then use a brush to eggwash on the tart.
Bake in pre-heat oven 180 degree Celsius for 15 - 20min.
Pineapple Jam:
Updates on 4/Jan/2016:
Rice Cooker Pineapple Jam
Pineapple
Jam (Rice Cooker Method)
Why this
method?
Among all the ways I’ve tried—slow cooker, claypot, wok—the rice cooker is the
easiest. It saves you from hours of stirring at the stove in a hot kitchen.
Just grate the pineapple, place it in the rice cooker, and let it cook while
you relax with coffee, watch a drama, do housework, or read.
Step-by-Step
Instructions
Ingredients
- 2 large honey pineapples (green) – about 750
g each after removing skin and “eyes”
- 150–200 g white sugar (approximately 10
tablespoons, adjust to taste)
- 3–4 cloves
- ½ stick cinnamon
1. Prepare
the pineapple
- Remove pineapple skin and "eyes"
- Using food processor to blend the whole pineapple including core until mushy. Or use knife to chop until mushy or grate using the grater. (Personal preference – I like the jam texture that is done chopping by knife. You can use any method.)
- Place grated pineapple directly into the rice cooker. Add in clove and cinnamon stick.
- Do not drain the juice; keeping it enhances flavor, though cooking will take longer.
2. Cook the
pineapple
- Switch on the rice cooker and let the pineapple cook.
- After about 2 hours, the liquid will begin to dry up. At this stage, stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Note: The jam doesn’t behave like rice—the cooker won’t automatically switch to “keep warm” when the liquid dries. Watch for the smell of caramelizing sugar as a sign to stir.
• 3. Add sugar
at the right time
- Only add sugar after most of the juice has evaporated. After added sugar, you need to stir to prevent sticky base. Also keep watch. As this is the process that is about to complete. Keep watch.
- Adding sugar too early will make the jam turn very dark.
- For a nice golden color, wait until the jam is nearly dry before stirring in sugar.
• 4. Finish
cooking
- Continue cooking & stir until the jam thickens to your desired consistency.
- Patience is key: cooking with the natural juice produces a richer, more fragrant jam.
• Shaping and Storing the Jam
- Once the jam has cooled, roll it into 9–10 g balls
for use in pineapple tarts, or store them in an airtight container in the
refrigerator.
- Because making jam is the most time-consuming part
of preparing tarts, it’s best to make it at least a month ahead.
- This recipe yields over 80 jam balls, each weighing
about 9–10 g.
Storage Tips
- The long you cook, the better the jam keeps.
- With enough sugar (a natural preservative), jam can last up to 1 year in the fridge.
- However, for best flavor, enjoy it within a few months rather than storing too long.
Notes on
Pineapple Choice & Sugar Adjustment
For this
recipe, I use honey pineapples instead of the more commonly used Morris
pineapples. Honey pineapples are naturally sweeter, so I reduce the amount
of sugar compared to what is usually added with Morris pineapples.
The exact amount of sugar depends on:
- Type of pineapple (honey vs. Morris or other varieties)
- Ripeness (ripe, semi-ripe, or unripe)
Adjust the sweetness according to
your preference. If the pineapple is very sweet, use less sugar; if it’s less
ripe, you may need more. Enjoy!
These few days, few friends asked me these questions after viewing this link:
1. Do you cover the rice cooker when it is cooking?
Answer : Yes. Like cooking rice.
2. Do you stir when put to cook?
Answer: Please refer to above item 2 to 4.
Notes dated 15Jan2016:
My sister did the rice cooker pineapple jam on last sunday. Apparently different kind of rice cooker does make a different. My sister owns a rice cooker that on normal rice cooking takes an hour and quick cook half hour. As compare to my rice cooker, cooking rice takes only 20mins. My rice cooker only have 3 functions - porridge, warm & rice.
My sister told me her pineapple jam sit in rice cooker for an hour and it still didn't start cooking. Her jam took longer time to cook than mine. And it didn't able to cook jam until very dry as her rice cooker keep jumping to "keep warm". So, she poured out the jam and continue cook over stove and got it done in very short time. In gengeral, she still prefer the rice cooker way. As she said no need to keep standing at the stove stiring the jam and it shorten the cooking time.
27Dec2016 Updates:
Yields : approx 1.4kg-1.5kg(220pcs 2cm balls)
2 big + 3 medium honey pineapples
150g rock sugar
350g white sugar
9 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
It is double the quantity. So today it took total 4hours to cook the jam. The rest of the method is the same.
Updates on 21Jan2017:
Made another batch of jam added only rock sugar. The colour tone is lighter. This is the ingredients :
2 big honey pineapples
Half stick cinnamon
5 cloves
160g rock sugar
Method refer to the above ricer cooker recipe.
Cooking time : 2hours
This is the results :
If you have also tried this rice cooker way of cooking jam, would welcome your comments.
Happy cooking and baking.
You may like to also view my other posts:
1.
almond-cookies
2.
almond-cookies-simple-version
As some friends are interested in the mould that I am using. Attached picture here for your reference.
😁
