It was with much self-gratitude that I reviewed the one-year-old post, for it detailed the exact steps undertaken to achieve the depicted results, along with conclusions/suggestions for subsequent trials. Given the vast number of kitchen experiment attempted on a weekly basis, recalling these specifics often proves difficult; the ordeal is even more challenging to align with my often-impromptu occurrences of inspiration.
500 g frozen pineapple chunks
35 g lemon juice
50 g granulated sugar *
60 g maltose *
17 g unsalted butter
* added more to compensate for accidental boost of acidity, but not sure about quantity
Yield: 280 g, portioned into 15 pcs
Directions
1) Cook pineapple chunks, lemon juice, and sugar over stovetop, stirring occasionally to prevent burning of sugar.
2) Once minimal liquid remains, blend using an immersion blender. Alternatively, cool slightly then transfer to a heat-proof blender. Pulverize until no large chunks remain.
3) Add maltose and cook until thickened.
4) Sieve the mixture and discard the liquid. Incorporate the butter and portion accordingly.
5) Chill the portioned mounds until ready to use. My version yielded 280 g, which was then portioned out to 15 rough spheres weighing in at approximately 19 g each.
Notes:
- Butter was added to the mixture before straining, but i recommend reversing these steps to maximize the silkiness of added fat.
- Glutinous rice flour can be added to the filling as a stabilizer/insurance, as with my previous attempt. However, this step was omitted as I had wished to test whether the stovetop method alone would draw out moisture sufficiently. I can confirm adequacy of the stovetop method, as the filling was perfect after baking, though glutinous rice flour could be added to assist with forming uniform spheres for wrapping and keeping moisture at bay.
- The filling was absolutely perfect, though I had added too much lemon juice (35 g instead of 10 g), thus later compensated with more maltose and sugar. This resulted in a sweet, thready filling with tart undertones.
In conclusion, I will not be altering the filling formation protocol in future attempts beyond straining before adding butter.