Pineapple tarts

This book was in Ruby Borrowdale's own cookbook collection, 

now at the Queensland Library, Brisbane

Pineapple tarts

18 slices white bread; ½ cup sweetened condensed milk; ¼ cup chopped pecans; 1 cup pineapple filling – jam or crushed; whipped cream

Heat oven to moderately hot. Cut 18 rounds from the bread slices with a large cookie cutter. Place 6 of the rounds on a greased baking sheet and brush with condensed milk.

Cut centres from the remaining rounds with a smaller cookie cutter. Use rings of bread for sides of tarts.

Place a ring of bread on each base round of bread and brush with condensed milk. Top with a second ring and brush again with condensed milk. Sprinkle with pecans. 

Bake 10 minutes and cool. At serving spoon pineapple filling into tarts and garnish with cream. Serves 6.

(Leftover bread pieces may be used for bread pudding or breadcrumbs)

I used this delicious German jam that friends Catherine and Vic found 

at a grocer in Sydney, thank you!

It's also delicious on toast! Anne

"Cake the podcast"

The Pineapple Princesses were proud to attend the launch of "Cake the podcast" at Queensland State Library, Brisbane (pssst episode 2 is devoted to pineapple)

https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/discover/podcasts/cake

"Cake is not just a food, it’s an emotion. From the history of cake to the iconic cakes of our childhood, State Library’s 'Cake the podcast' takes you on a sweet journey that connects you to memories, community and family. Learn about the people, the places and the recipes that have influenced our insatiable taste for cake.

Join our award-winning host, Kaitlyn Sawrey of Who is Daniel Johns? podcast fame, and tuck into stories about lamingtons, pineapple cake, CWA scones, moon cake, Greek funeral cake, big cakes, celebration cake, and more" State Library Queensland

While at the State Library the Pineapple Princesses were treated to a look into the archives at a "white glove" display of Ruby Borrowdale's meticulous journal and recipe collection. Ruby was the creator of "The Golden Circle Tropical Recipe Book" which inspired this blog. 

At the Library there was also a collection of historical Golden Circle photographs, records and graphics in the form of posters, book covers and labels;

plus a wonderful collection of heritage cookbooks which we will be cooking from in future blog posts.

                                                               from the 1890s

                                      Queensland Nutrition Council's 1937 Year Book

To give you a taste of Queensland pineapple . . . 

“Judith May” International Butter & Ghee Recipes 1968 compiled by Gene Austin for the Queensland Butter Marketing Board

Polynesian casserole

Ingredients: 2 cups parboiled sweet potatoes; 2 tblspn brown sugar; 2 tblspn finely grated orange rind; 1 fresh pineapple, sliced thinly and cut into pieces; 3 tblspn freshly grated or desiccated coconut; 3 tblspn butter

Method: Peel & parboil the sweet potatoes in sated water 10 to 15 minutes. Strain & remove from saucepan, chill & slice about ¼ inch (7mm) in thickness (never attempt to slice hot sweet potatoes as they will break).

Butter a casserole dish, sprinkle the base with grated orange rind, dot with small pieces of butter, then arrange on top a layer of sliced pineapple pieces, sprinkle with brown sugar, top with a layer of sliced sweet potatoes. Repeat this process in layers until all ingredients are used. Sprinkle with coconut.

Bake in moderately hot oven (400 degrees F (200°C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot with pork fillets Polynesian style.

Ruby advises . . .

Ruby said “You’ll be a better cook if . . . “ “you watch your spoon measurements. When the recipe states ‘a spoonful’, a LEVEL spoonful is intended. Take a spoonful, then use a flat-bladed knife to level off the top. When a ‘rounded spoonful’ is specified, there should be roughly as much of the ingredient above the spoon as is contained in its bowl. ‘A heaped spoonful’ should be roughly piled with the ingredient.”   
                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                        

Ruby Borrowdale, author of the Golden Circle Tropical Recipe book c 1960s.

The following biography accompanies Ruby’s archive held in the National Library of Australia.

From 1932 Ruby Borrowdale was the Chief Instructress, later the Superintendent of the Test Kitchen of Warwich and Brisbane millers Simpson Bros, the makers of baking powder. Ruby Borrowdale wrote a weekly cooking column for the Brisbane Telegraph under the nom de plume of Patricia Dale, as well as wrote cooking segments for many country papers from Cairns to Maitland. Ruby Borrowdale also appeared on radio and was the first Queensland cook to appear on television - her first TV Week article appeared between the 2nd to the 8th June, 1960. Later she established her own "independent" test kitchen at 25 Chester St, Fortitude Valley and became the director of Judith May Clinic of the Queensland Butter Board.

She was married to Ambrose Jones and the couple lived at Hampstead Rd, Highgate Hill. Ruby Borrowdale died at the age of 84 on the 13th June, 1997. This biographical history has been compiled with the assistance of a short biographical sketch written by Ruby Borrowdale's husband Ambrose Jones in the late 1960s.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/157225302?q=%22Borrowdale%22&c=collection&versionId=171381576

“Crazy About Cakes” is a youtube video about Ruby with wonderful illustrations.