Brittle sweetness with a jammy pineapple heart. A traditional treat that connects us to Andean fairs, where the corn and wheat dough melts on the palate with every bite. A rustic classic, humble and steeped in heritage.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Chop the pineapple into small dice and cook it with the filling white granulated sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon and ground cloves for 12 to 15 minutes, until it releases juice, reduces and smells like a sweet fair stall.
Dissolve the cornstarch in a spoonful of the hot filling juices and return it to the pot. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring, until the pineapple is thick and glossy; cool for 10 minutes before using.
Mix the wheat flour, corn flour, dough white granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and anise seeds. Add the shortening and rub it in with your fingers until the texture looks like coarse sand.
Whisk the eggs with the milk and add them to the dry mixture. Bring the dough together without over-kneading, just until soft and crumbly; if you work it too much, it loses that sandy tenderness.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then roll it out thin but manageable, and cut 24 rounds to make 12 pastries.
Place a spoonful of pineapple filling in the center of half the rounds. Cover with the remaining rounds and press the edges gently to seal; do not flatten the center, we want a jammy heart, not a tropical leak.
Heat the oven to 180°C and arrange the pastries on a tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges and base, with a dry, fragile surface.
Let the pastries rest for 15 minutes before moving them. Serve at room temperature, when the dough breaks cleanly and the pineapple filling is jammy without burning your mouth.
