Monday 25 August 2014

Pineapple Cookies

Betty Crocker’s Cooky Carnival from the famous Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book, 1957 USA

Betty Crocker



Mix thoroughly . . . 1 cup shortening; 1 ½ cups sugar; 1 egg
Stir in . . . 250g can crushed pineapple with juice (1 cup)
Sift together and stir in . . . 3 ½ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL flour; 1 tspn soda; ½ tspn salt; ¼ tspn nutmeg
Mix in . . . ½ cup chopped nuts
Chill; at least 1 hour. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about5 cm apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until, when touched lightly with finger, no imprint remains.
Temperature: 200°C Time: Bake 8 to n10 min. Amount: About 5 doz. cookies



Monday 18 August 2014

Pineapple Soufflé

Good Housekeeping’s Cookery Book, 1955 edition, United Kingdom


Pineapple Soufflé  
“Hot Soufflés: These are made from a panada mixture which is lightened by the addition of stiffly beaten egg whites. Its success depends largely on the adequate whisking of the egg whites, their very light but thorough incorporation into the mixture, and careful cooking.”
For soufflé case approx.. 15cm by 6cm
15g butter; 15g flour; 100ml milk; 3 egg yolks; 1 dstspn castor sugar; 30g chopped pineapple; 4 egg whites; pieces of angelica (or green glacé cherries)

Heat the oven to moderately hot. Prepare the soufflé dish by greasing with butter. Weigh out all ingredients carefully. Melt the butter in a fairly large pan over a low heat, and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Add the hot milk gradually and stir over the heat until it leaves the sides of the pan. Be sure it is quite smooth.
Remove from the heat and add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in each yolk thoroughly, and blend all the ingredients so that no unmixed panada remains around the sides of the pan. Add the sugar and well drained chopped  pineapple and leave aside while preparing the egg whites.

Beat the egg whites to a stiff froth – it is essential that they should be very thoroughly whisked. Do not prepare them until just before they are required, so that the air bubbles will not break down before the eggs are incorporated with the other ingredients.

Fold the beaten egg whites into the panada mixture as lightly as possible, using a metal, not a wooden, spoon. Do not stir the mixture, as this tends to break down the air bubbles.

Cut a few pieces of angelica to form diamond-shaped leaves. Decorate the bottom of the buttered soufflé dish with these.
When thoroughly blended, pour into the soufflé dish and bake in a moderately hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown, and firm in the centre. Serve at once with a sauce made from the pineapple juice.




I made a sauce by mixing 1 cup pineapple juice, 1 tblspn brown sugar and 50g butter in a saucepan over low heat for about 3 minutes. I then added 1 tblspn cornflour blended into ¼ cup cold water and stirred until it thickened, then served it hot onto the soufflés with cream. A lovely light dessert, Anne.

Sunday 10 August 2014

Pineapple Muffins

The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer  1946 Edition USA  Illustrations by Marion Rombauer Becker

“A pleasant variation of a good old standby.”
About 24 muffins.

Prepare the muffin batter. Add to the liquid ingredients ½ cup well-drained crushed pineapple.
Sift before measuring: 2 cups cake flour or 1 ¾ cups bread flour.
Resift with: ¾ tsp salt; ¼ cup sugar; 2 tspn baking powder.
Beat in a separate bowl: 2 eggs
Combine and add: 2 tblsp melted butter; ¾ cup milk
Stir the liquid quickly into the dry ingredients, taking only 15 or 20 seconds in which to do it. Make no attempt to stir or beat out the lumps. Ignore them. Unnecessary handling of the batter results in tough muffins. Pour the batter at once into greased tins or paper baking cups. Fill them about half full. The tops may be sprinkled with 2 tblspn poppy seeds. Bake the muffins from 15 to 20 minutes in a hot oven 220°C. remove them at once from the tins.

To reheat them, place them ion a paper bag, close the bag and place it in a hot oven 220°C for about 5 minutes.


Imagine, an electric kettle with LED lights! I love it!


Tuesday 5 August 2014

Islander’s Chicken and Pineapple

My mother, Moira who is now 87, wanted to join into the Pineapple Princess fun when she found a recipe for Islander’s Chicken and Pineapple Casserole with Rice in one of her recipe books from the 1970s. She was a bit rebellious when following the recipe, but it was a delicious meal! Anne.

Chicken Cookbook and other poultry, June Phillips 1974 Sydney
Islander’s Chicken and Pineapple Casserole with Rice
“A great party chicken dish, sautéed with pineapple and coated with a delicate cream sauce and served on a pile of golden rice pilaf. The whole dish can be cooked on top of the stove or it can be finished in the oven.”
Serves 6
12 chicken pieces (legs, thighs or breasts); 60b butter; 1 tblspn oil; 2 onions, thinly sliced; 470g can pineapple slices, well drained; pinch grated nutmeg;; 1 lemon; 1 cup chicken stock or water; salt and freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup cream
Wipe chicken pieces and brown on all sides in a heavy saucepan or fireproof casserole in butter and oil. Remove chicken and add onions to pan and fry gently until golden. Add to chicken. Halve pineapple slices and fry until golden. Remove. Return chicken and onion to pan. Add nutmeg and two strips of thinly peeled lemon rind. Add stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place pineapple on top of chicken, then cover and simmer over as very gentle heat, or in a moderately slow oven 160-180°C for about 1 hour or until chicken is tender. While chicken is cooking prepare the pilaf.
Remove the chicken and pineapple from pan and keep warm. Discard lemon rind and boil the juices in pan, adding lemon juice to taste. Stir in the cream and cook rapidly until sauce thickens slightly. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve the chicken on a bed of the rice and spoon sauce over.
Rice Pilaf:
90g butter; 1 large onion; 2 cups long grained rice; 1 tspn turmeric; 3 ½ cups chicken stock; 2 tspns salt; freshly ground pepper
Heat butter in a large heavy pan and fry onion until transparent. Add rice and stir for 1 minute, then add turmeric. Pour in the stock and season with salt and a good grinding of pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and cook over a low heat, without stirring, until rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25 mins. Fluff up with a  fork before serving.