Pineapple Turkish Delight

Roasted Pineapple Turkish Delight based on this recipe:

https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/recipes/roast-pineapple-turkish-delight-10035

Ingredients: 1 medium pineapple; 2 cup (440g) caster sugar; 1 1/2 cup (240g) icing sugar; 2/3 cup (100g) cornflour; 1/4 teaspoon tartaric acid; juice of 1 lemon; 10 leaves gold-strength gelatin; 2 dried pineapple rings, cut into small pieces; white sugar, for dusting

Makes about 24 pieces

Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Line a 10x20cm lamington tray or 23cm square cake tin with plastic wrap. Place pineapple on a roasting tray and roast until skin is black, about 90mins. when cool, remove skin with a seated knife. Remove and discard core, then use a stick blender to puree flesh until smooth. Set aside.

Place caster sugar and ½ cup water in a large saucepan. Stir to dissolve and bring to the boil, brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush from time to time. Simmer until mixture reaches 115°C on a confectionery thermometer then add tartaric acid and lemon juice.

Meanwhile, place icing sugar, cornflour and ½ cup cold tap water in a bowl and stir to combine. Add cornflour mixture and 2 cups boiling water to hot sugar syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a whisk, until thick and translucent, about 15 mins.

Soak gelatin in cold water until soft, about 2 mins. Squeeze out excess water then stir gelatin through mixture.

Add pineapple puree and stir until combined.

Pour into lined tray and refrigerate 2 hrs or until set.

Turn onto a board and cut into squares with a slightly wet knife.

Dust with extra caster sugar and decorate with pieces of dried pineapple ring or crystallised pineapple.

Pineapple and Kirsch Fruit Salad

 Another old favourite from:
The Best of Mrs Beeton’s Easy Entertaining, updated in 2007 London
(Thanks for the recipe Amanda!)

Desserts: Pineapple and Kirsch Salad

2 small pineapples; 100g / 4 oz black grapes; 1 banana; 1 pear; 15ml / 1 tblsp lemon juice; 30 – 45 / 2 – 3 tblsp kirsch; sugar

Cut the pineapples in half lengthways. Cut out the core from each, then scoop out the flesh, using first a knife, then a spoon, but taking care to keep the pineapple shells intact. Discard the core, and working over a bowl to catch the juice, chop the flesh.

Add the pineapple flesh to the bowl. Halve the grapes and remove the pips. Add to the pineapple mixture. Peel and slice the banana; peel, core, and slice the pear. Put the lemon juice in a shallow bowl, add the pear and banana slices and toss both fruits before adding to the pineapple and grapes.

Mix all the fruit together, pout the kirsch over and sweeten to taste with the sugar. Pile the fruit back into the pineapple shells and chill until required.

Serves four.

An old favourite

Golden Circle Tropical Recipe Book, Ruby Borrowdale 1960s Queensland 

Scandinavian Ice-Box Cake

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, ½ cup castor sugar, 110g each butter and brown sugar, ¼ tspn nutmeg, ½ tspn cinnamon, 1 pkt wheatmeal biscuits, 1 tspn grated lemon rind, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tblspn castor sugar, ½ tspn vanilla essence.

Empty contents of pineapple can into saucepan, add the ½ cup sugar and bring to boiling point, stirring to dissolve sugar. Set aside to cool. Stir in lemon rind. Crush biscuits finely. Melt butter in saucepan, add brown sugar and spices, stir over low heat until blended, then pour over biscuits crumbs. Stir to blend. Make layers of crumbs and pineapple in a 20cm square cake pan, starting and ending with crumbs. Whip the chilled cream, adding the tblspn sugar and vanilla during beating. When thick and fluffy spread over top of dessert. Chill two or more hours before serving.