Love the idea of muffin tins! I had a hard time making the cute, small pineapple cakes I’d imagined.

I had a question though. How do you tell when the pineapple filling is ready? I’m a bit nervous that I might not be able to tell when it is the right consistency and I might overcook it >.< is it a bit more soupy when it's hot and then it gels a bit when it cools down?

Also, maybe they could be made in the bottom of muffin tins.. It could help in getting the size a bit smaller. Just a thought..

Anywho, not to sound like an advertisement but my sister’s friend who is a Chinese national has a hobby baking blog so I took her recipe for pineapple buns, which I found to be much more accurate like the one in Chinese bakeries. Your recipe is much healthier since the original requires (gulp) lard! I always have to hold my breath when assembling the crust hahah

But if you were to try it again, I would wholeheartedly recommend this recipe:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2008/09/recipe-pineapple-bun.html

I half the recipe and I try to weigh the dough for more even shaped buns. And if you have trouble finding baker’s ammonia, it is available online at kingarthurflour.com’s store, or I went to a local Greek supermarket and they carried it (they apparently frequently use it in baking as well). A bit pricey but just a pinch goes along way!

I know it’s a little weird that I’m commenting on an old post, but this jumped out at me. I’m half Chinese (my mom’s from Hong Kong) and whenever we go to visit her family, we go to Chinatown, eat tons of dim sum, and buy tons of stuff from Chinese bakeries. (Not that we do this only when we visit them, but we live in the middle of nowhere in northern New Hampshire, so there isn’t much market for that kind of thing..) I definitely wanna try these when I go home for my next school break!

On another note, I also love baking. I used to be 17 and Baking as well (without the whole blog thing. I’m not that good with computers/technology). But then I turned 18… But baking is what I do when I’m stressed, bored, upset. Or happy. Basically always. I spent my entire winter break in the kitchen, making all kinds of things… My story is kind of long and confusing, but essentially I was a culinary student last year, and I attended college during my final year of high school. I left early to finish my senior year, and now am at another college studying elementary education. But I’m trying so hard to go back to my old school (Johnson & Wales in Providence, btw) to be a Baking and Pastry student. Because baking is where my passion lies. I’ve looked though your blog, and I love some of the stuff you’ve made on here, and can’t wait to try some of it (once I’m not in a dorm with no access to kitchens). I know you’ve written that you probably won’t go to culinary school or be a professional baker, but I just wanted you to know that some of your stuff is really inspiring, and I hope with practice I’ll be able to make stuff that looks as fantastic as yours!

Sorry for the lengthy comment, especially the boring bits about myself, but I just wanted to let you know that I love your blog (I stumbled upon it reading Joy the Baker), and that I really love some of the stuff you’ve done. You’re an inspiration!

-Katy
:)

This one took me a while, though I was distracted… the dough was crumbly and the pineapple wouldn’t cook, but it happened eventually. I made six instead of twelve, and overbaked them by a couple of minutes (they looked undercooked and I don’t know how to tell!). But they still do have a nice flavor, though maybe they’re a little dry (: I think I’ll try again one day, a bit more successfully!

I think that’s five done so far :D But I don’t think I’ll ever aim to complete all of your recipes anymore, now that you’ve posted elaborate cakes!~ I’ll have to be satisfied with baking complicated stuff with you!

And you’re right – with enough time, you can tackle ANYTHING. I used to read Martha Stewart Living like a novel and pick out the most daunting recipes. Cream puffs, baklava, even a 6 course murder mystery dinner. Cook on, girl!