St George and the Pineapple

The St George “All Electric” Cookery Book published by St George County Council, 1960s, Australia

Baked Hawaiian Charlotte

Slices of bread and butter; 6 bananas; ½ cup pineapple juice; 1 can pineapple; ½ cup breadcrumbs; 1 egg, separated; 1 tspn lemon rind; 1 tblspn lemon juice

Method: grease a mould and line with sliced bread and butter. Moisten the bread with pineapple juice. Mix the breadcrumbs, lemon rind, sliced bananas and chopped pineapple together and mix in the beaten egg yolk and lemon juice. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg white and pour into the lined mould. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs. Oven 230°C, top element off and bottom on medium – 35 minutes. Serve hot or cold with cream or custard. Auto. 230°C, reduce to 200°C.

Spiced Pineapple Punch

1 cup sugar; 4 cups pineapple juice; 1 ½ cups water; ½ cup lemon juice; 1 tspn ground cinnamon; crushed ice; 12 cloves; 1 cup orange juice

Method: Boil together the sugar, water and spices. Strain through cheese cloth and add fruit juices. Chill and pour over crushed ice.

My beautiful niece, Georgina, enjoying a glass of  Spiced Pineapple Punch on
Christmas Eve, Anne.

Pineapple for Christmas

Judging by the amount of pineapple merchandise in the shops this summer I guess the luckiest amongst you will be receiving tropical fruit ornaments this Christmas! Next summer when pineapples and pink flamingoes are deemed passé the Pineapple Princesses will still be cooking up treats from their endless supply of retro recipe books!

Merry Christmas, Ann and Anne.

Aunty Ann’s Christmas Pineapple Choc Clusters

 250g slivered almonds; 250g dried pineapple; 250g white chocolate melts

Toast the almonds until very pale golden

Chop the pineapple
Melt the chocolate
Mix all together
Drop teaspoons full onto trays lined with baking paper
Top each with a silver cachou or several
Store in fridge.

The Australian Women’s Weekly Cookery Book, Prize recipes from our £2,000 Cookery Contest, 1948

Rich Christmas Cake
(This recipe won First Prize of £25)

225g butter; 225g brown sugar; 1 tspn grated lemon rind; 1 tspn vanilla; ½ tspn almond essence; 5 eggs; 225g plain flour; 2 tblspn self-raising flour; ½ tspn each cinnamon, nutmeg, spice, salt; 450g seeded raisins; 450g sultanas; 110g each of sliced crystallised or drained cherries, dates; 2 tblspn each of chopped prunes, diced crystallised pineapple, shredded peel, chopped blanched almonds; quantity rum or sherry; 1 large green apple

Cream butter with sugar, lemon rind, and essences. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift dry ingredients 2 or 3 times, mix half with prepared fruits. Add dry ingredients alternately with floured fruit. Lastly mix in peeled, grated apple. Turn into 23cm round or square cake-tin lined with 3 thicknesses brown paper and one layer of white paper. Surface of cake should be level – a slowly baked cake rises evenly. Place in a very moderate oven (170° C), keep oven temperature steady and bake 4 ½ to 4 ¾ hours. Leave in tin, wrap in clean tea-towel, then in 3 or 4 thicknesses clean paper. Make 3 or 4 weeks before required.

Every 2 or 3 days trickle 1 or 2 tblspn rum or sherry over top off cake and allow it to soak in. If desired, this treatment may be omitted and 2 tblspn rum or sherry added to mixture.

NOTE: Quantities for cake may be doubled and mixture cooked in 25cm tin for approximately seven hours.

Pineapple slushies at the pool. Summer!

The Franciscis, taken on my phone which is not an iphone! Anne.

 

 

Pineapple pastry boats

From Pellaprat’s Great Book of French Cuisine, 1974

Pellaprat's pastry boats

Barquettes aux Fruits Divers (boat shaped pastry cases)

Line some boat shaped tartlet moulds with rich sweet pastry and bake blind (with baking paper and dried peas). When cold, brush the inside with melted chocolate and leave to harden.

Place a layer of confectioners’ custard and place fruit on top (pineapple triangles). Lightly brush the fruit with apricot puree (optional) and surround with flaked roasted almonds.

Anne's not quite boat shaped ones

And look, found at that very cool art gallery MONA in Hobart,

Tasmania!



Unusual Pineapple Dishes

During the last year several dishes using pineapple have been posted on the Unusual Coleslaw blog including these two, the first of which is certainly an unusual combination of ingredients! Thanks Vicki, did you try this one?  Jane tasted the “cocktail” with a blindfold and identified all the ingredients bar the vinegar and sugar. I think her expression says it all! Anne.

http://unusualcoleslaw.blogspot.com.au/

Watermelon Delight

Cut seeded watermelon into cubes, add thinly sliced onion and sliced orange and pineapple pieces - mint can be added for a refreshing taste. Sprinkle with a little sugar and vinegar.

Source: Oodnadatta Cookbook (Oodnadatta: 1986), p.11.

Pineapple and Cheese Spread

Equal quantities of grated cheddar cheese and crushed drained pineapple, a little milk (if required), crushed walnuts.

Method: Mix and melt cheese and pineapple in a small saucepan, adding a little milk if required. Add chopped walnuts.

Use as a spread on cracker biscuits or as a filling for crisp celery fingers.

Source: contributed by Tea Tree Gully Club in A Legacy of Recipes (Adelaide: Legacy Club of Adelaide, 1991), p.45.

Yeoval and Pineapple

Yeoval Central School Centenary Recipe Book NSW 1983

Yeoval is a wonderful little town in Central Western NSW where we lived for several years, Anne.

Chicken Waldorf Salad    

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup chopped chicken; ½ cup chopped celery; ½ cup chopped walnuts; ½ cup sour cream; 2 tblspns French Dressing; 1 tin pineapple pieces; ½ cup chopped apples; ½ cup chopped capsicum; ¼ cup mayonnaise; salt and pepper (May also be added: raisins, finely shredded cabbage).

Method:

Mix well, cover and chill. Best made day before. Serve on lettuce leaves.

 

Minted Pineapple Dip    

Ingredients:

250g cream cheese; 1 cup crushed drained pineapple; ¼ cup finely chopped mint & season to taste.

Method:

Combine all ingredients in blender.

A perfect use of canned pineapple

My sister-in-law, Colleen, makes a totally delicious carrot cake. There are 6 !! displayed here at my brother, Richard's, birthday celebrations, Anne.

Colleen found the original recipe she has been using for many years in

Vogue Living Entertaining & Cooking Guide ’78, Australia

Carrot Cake

2 cups plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 ½ tsp soda; salt; 2 tsp cinnamon; 2 cups sugar; 1 ½ cups oil; 4 eggs; 2 cups grated carrot; 1 X 250g can crushed pineapple, drained; ½ cup chopped nuts

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt & cinnamon. Add sugar, oil & eggs. Stir in carrot, pineapple & nuts. Put into greased & floured pan 45cmx23cm or 23cm round pan. Bake at 180°C 35-40 minutes.

Cream cheese icing: Combine 125g margarine, 250g cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla. Add 500g icing sugar gradually, beating vigorously between additions.

Recommended without reservation!

Ananas la via Italiana ?

Davis Dainty Dishes, 1^st ed 1922 ; 1927

Sweet Napoli   

Ingredients:

2 cups of clear gelatine jelly; ½ tin preserved pineapple; 4 tblsps sugar; 4 tblsps of macaroni; 1 cup custard

Directions:

Wet a border mould, and coat it with jelly, cut the pineapple in dice and put in. Then pour I the remainder of the jelly coloured with a few drops of cochineal. Boil the macaroni in milk till quite tender, sweeten, drain, and set it aside to cool. When the jelly is firmly set, turn out and fill with the macaroni, pouring over it the custard, and serve.

Plain jelly can be made, using 1 dstsp of gelatine, to each cup of hot water, and sweetened as required.

I think I would have to be very hungry to attempt the next recipe from 'Davis Dainty Dishes'! Luckily it doesn't use pineapple so I don't feel at all tempted! Anne

The Joy of Pineapple Biscuits

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

My father-in-law, Mac, gave this book to Joan when they were married in 1947. It contains no less than 56 recipes for pineapple!

Pineapple Biscuits

Prepare: Fluffy Biscuit Dough.

Fluffy biscuits (shortcake dough):

Sift before measuring: 2cups cake flour or 1 ¾ cups bread flour;

Resift with: 4 tspns baking powder ; 1 ¼ tspns salt;  1 tblspn sugar;

Cut in as directed: 2 tblspns butter (4 tblspns for richer dough);

Add: ¾ cup part rich milk and part canned pineapple juice.

Dent the top of each biscuit. Fill the dent with drained, canned crushed pineapple. Sprinkle the biscuits lightly with Confectioner’s sugar. Bake the biscuits in a hot oven 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pineapple Candy

I found these recipes online. They were quite nice, but, I think I'll stick to chocolate! Anne

 

PINEAPPLE BURFI

 

INGREDIENTS

Pineapple tin - 400ml; milk powder - 1 cup; sugar - 2 tsp; ghee - 3 tsp; pistachio or almond slices for garnishing

METHOD

Drain the pineapple slices & grind it. Put milk powder, pineapple paste, sugar and ghee in a pan and stir  continuously till it becomes thick.                                                                                                            Remove from heat immediately & transfer it to a ghee greased plate/tray.Garnish it with pistachio or almond slices.

 http://www.indiaparenting.com/cookingclub/mainrecipe.cgi?cuisine_id=10&recipe_id=561

Burfi is a sweet confectionery from India. It is often flavoured with fruit, nuts, spices or rose water. They are sometimes coated with a thin layer of edible metallic leaf known as vark and are typically cut into square, diamond, or round shapes. Different types of Burfi vary in their color and texture.

 

HAWAIIAN PINEAPPLE CANDY

1 c. granulated sugar; 1/2 c. brown sugar; 1/4 c. milk or cream; 1/2 c. crushed pineapple, not drained; 1 tbsp. butter; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1/2 c. pecans

Cook sugar, milk and pineapple until it forms a soft ball when a little is dropped in cold water. Remove from fire; add butter, vanilla, nuts. Beat until creamy, drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Sometimes it helps to cook just a hair beyond the soft ball stage to get the candy to harden. The beating is the big secret. The colour will change as the candy gets stiff. If it is too stiff to drop from the spoon, add a spoonful of hot water as needed, being sure to beat after every addition of water

(From cookbook issued by First United Methodist Church of Wharton, Texas.)

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/prt/0,177,151179-241193,00.html

 

Now that's just silly !

There’s a wonderful book “The Meaning of Tingo and other extraordinary words from around the world” by Adam Jacot de Boinod. 

 

Although I didn’t find any references to pineapple at all I learnt about some unusual foods:

poronkieli (Finnish) reindeer tongue 

acitron (Mexican Spanish) candied cactus and

Lele (Hawaii) a wild banana used for love magic.

 

And my new favourite word which has nothing to do with pineapple is . . . achaplinarse  (Spanish, Central America) which means to hesitate and then run away in the manner of Charlie Chaplin, Anne.

Q: Why did the pineapple stop in the middle of the road?   

 

A: Because he ran out of juice.

 

Frocktober and pineapple

It’s almost the end of Frocktober, a month dedicated to raising money for research into Ovarian Cancer. To assist this important research the lovely Kylie in Perth and friends are modelling gorgeous frocks from previous eras (some look suspiciously like dresses that I, or people I know, may have worn not that long ago!) on her blog  http://lucyvioletvintage.blogspot.com.au/

Visit Kylie online, relive your own stunning and/or unforgivable fashion statements from the past and donate to an important cause.

I found this interesting/goofy photo of myself in the early 1960s that actually shows me wearing a frock, an event that never seems to happen these days!

And for something pineapple . . .

 

 

My daughter, Ella, discovered these swimmers on one of her frequent visits to the Black Milk site and insisted that I should have them. Although no one will ever see me dressed in them at the beach or a public swimming pool I may just wear them when no one’s around – they are very comfortable ! Anne

Kylie often sends us links to pinapalia that she has discovered online such as the stunning frock on this site

http://shoponline.misterzimi.com/dresses/pina-sleeveless-tina-dress/
 

Mild Pineapple Beef Curry

Crockery Cookbook by Mary Berry 1978 UK

Mary's Mild Pineapple Beef Curry

Mild Pineapple Beef Curry 
 

2 tblspns desiccated coconut; 300ml boiling water; 25g dripping; 0.5kg stewing steak cut into 1 cm cubes; 1 tblspn plain flour; 1 tblspn curry powder; 227g can pineapple pieces; 1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped; 2 tblspns mango chutney; 1 tblspn redcurrant jelly; 1 beef stock cube; ½ tspn salt.

Put the coconut in a bowl, cover with water, and leave to stand for 1 hour. Strain and reserve the liquid.

Melt the dripping in a large pan, add the meat and fry until golden brown. Stir in the flour and curry powder and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the coconut water and pineapple with the juice from the can. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring until thickened.

Turn into the slow cooker, cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes then turn to LOW and cook for a further 5 hours. Taste to check the seasoning and serve with boiled rice. Serves 4

Slow cooking time: 5 ½ hours

My Mild Pineapple Beef Curry

Thanks for the lovely dish, Jane!

New Zealand Pineapple and Nut Loaf

The Pineapple Princesses recently enjoyed the truly fabulous World of Wearable Art in Wellington, New Zealand. We recommend you save all your pennies and go one year as it is a spectacular event of inspiring wearable art and theatre.

When visiting our friend Jenny in Dunedin I had a sneaky poke around her kitchen in the hope of finding a New Zealand retro recipe for pineapple and lo and behold -

Basic New Zealand Cookbook by Eleanor M. Gray, Dunedin 1978

Pineapple and Nut Loaf

2 cups sifted flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tblspn baking powder, ½ cup chopped nuts, 1 medium egg, 1 cup milk, 50g melted butter, ¼ cup well drained crushed pineapple (cut any large pieces of pineapple)

Preheat the oven (180°C). Grease a medium to large loaf tine with a small amount of butter. Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir in the nuts. Beat the egg with a rotary beater; add the milk and butter; beat to mix. Make a ‘well’ in the centre of the dry ingredients; pour the liquid ingredients into the ‘well’; stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are just dampened and the mixture is still lumpy, Turn into the prepared loaf tin; spread carefully to the corners. Bake in a moderate oven(180°C) for 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Loosen the loaf from the sides of the tin with a spatula or knife. Turn onto a cake cooler. Serve cold; leave for 24 hours before slicing if possible. Makes 1 medium to large loaf.

Beautiful!

A delicious Pina Colada Shake enjoyed on Lambton Quay, Wellington!