Monday, June 20, 2011

Bars of Deliciousness

The OCD side of me is cringing. This blog has been going Stephen Steph Kate Stephen Steph Kate Stephen Steph Kate since the beginning, and I'm about to mess it up... Please forgive me.

Ever since I was little, I have memories of having pineapple bars when we visited my grandma. She's all the way out in Iowa, so it wasn't very often, but I always remember eating these. Half would be covered in sugary glaze for me to devour, half would go plain for my parents who didn't want a sugar high (their loss). The inside was pineapple deliciousness.

A year or two back, I finally asked my grandma for the recipe, so now I can have pineapple deliciousness without the 16 hour car ride. How wonderful!
Filling sitting on the stove

Pineapple filling

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbs corn starch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 20 oz can of Pineapple chunks, do NOT drain
Mix together the dry ingredients. Put the yolk and pineapple into a saucepan, stir them together a bit, then add the dry ingredients. Cook on medium heat until boiling, stirring the entire time. If you don't keep the bottom part of the pineapple from sticking, it'll burn rather easily. If this does happen, it's not horrible, but your pineapple goo will have a bit of a brown tinge to it. Set this aside to cool while you make the dough.

I love you, Kitchen Aid!
Dough

  • 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 cups flour (I know, quite vague)
  • 1 Tbs sugar
  • 1 pkg yeast (that's 1/4 oz)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • 4 egg yolks
Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, and yeast. Melt the butter in the microwave a little, but not to liquidification, just so it's mushy; combine with milk and water. Add the liquids to the dry in whatever bowl you're going to mix it in (Kitchen Aid are amazing). Beat for 2 minutes. Add yolk and 1/2 cup flour. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Now eyeball in enough flour to make it into moist dough. Usually right at 4 is good for me, but you may require less or more as the recipe suggests. Divide dough in half. Roll out dough covering the bottom of your pan (My grandma uses a "jelly roll pan" but I just use a 9x13). Poor the filling over the dough. Roll out the remaining dough to the right size to cover it; place on and pinch the edges together.
Bread after rising for an hour


Cover with a towel and let it sit about an hour to let it rise. Yay yeast!

Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 35-40 minutes. The top should turn a nice golden brown.

You can mix up a frosting using powdered sugar and cream. Our's came out very liquidy and made a glaze. But it's powdered sugar, so honestly I don't care what consistency it's in as long as it's in the "tasty in my mouth" consistency.

There's lots of jokes about pineapples, and while describing this pastry I even got jokes about the icing. I don't care. Pineapple bars are great. The dough isn't too sweet, the pineapples are delicious, the frosting is very sweet: it all combines to make a great breakfast food. You should try it, really, before you diss.

Kate

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