Pineapple Bars
Easy, simple recipe...great taste... I make this all the time, as my family loves them. Shared with me by my mother, the original recipe along with a tin of the cookies was given to my mother, when she was a nurse, by a dear sweet German lady, whom my mom was caring for. They became good friends sharing recipes, food, and good times together for the rest of their lives.
Easy, simple recipe...great taste... I make this all the time, as my family loves them. Shared with me by my mother, the original recipe along with a tin of the cookies was given to my mother, when she was a nurse, by a dear sweet German lady, whom my mom was caring for. They became good friends sharing recipes, food, and good times together for the rest of their lives.
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large egg yolks
- -- dough --
- 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
- -- filling --
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- -- glaze --
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 20-ozcan crushed pineapple
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 1-lb box confectioners' sugar
- milk to thin glaze
- Carbohydrate 31.5875576388889 g
- Cholesterol 159.248125 mg
- Fat 10.4943897222222 g
- Fiber 0.595019453692767 g
- Protein 3.64972236111111 g
- Saturated Fat 5.69036631944445 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Bar (76g)
- Sodium 279.134305555556 mg
- Sugar 30.9925381851961 g
- Trans Fat 0.72924522222222 g
- Calories 233 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the filling: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook until shiny and thick. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- To make the dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. Cut in the butter as for pie dough. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla and egg yolks. Mix to a stiff dough. Divide in half. Roll 1 portion of dough and place it on a cookie sheet, then spread the filling on top. Roll out the other portion of dough and cover the pineapple filling with it. Dock the top dough, using a fork. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool.
- To make the glaze: Combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, butter and enough milk to make an icing consistency. Spread the glaze on top and let harden before cutting the cake into desired size bars.
A crisp, pale pastry crust shatters under the knife to reveal a dense, translucent pineapple layer that tastes sharply tart beneath a smooth sugar glaze. Achieving this texture requires strict attention to the saucepan phase where the crushed fruit meets cornstarch. Stir the mixture continuously over medium heat until the starches fully gelatinize, transforming a cloudy liquid into a glossy, thick paste that will not bleed moisture into the surrounding dough. Letting this filling cool entirely before assembly prevents the butter in the crust from melting prematurely.
Working with cold butter when cutting the fat into the dry ingredients creates the flaky pockets necessary for a successful pastry structure. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces resemble coarse peas before incorporating the sour cream and egg yolks. Docking the top sheet of rolled dough with a fork allows steam to escape during the 375 degree oven phase, stopping the pastry layers from separating or ballooning as the water content in the fruit heats up.
Baking these pastries in advance offers distinct storage advantages. The baked and glazed bars hold their structural integrity in the refrigerator for up to five days when stored in an airtight container with parchment paper separating the layers. Freezing is also viable for up to two months. Wrap the unglazed pan tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing. Thaw frozen bars overnight in the refrigerator, then apply a fresh batch of butter and confectioners' sugar icing just before serving to maintain the glaze's opacity.
Using canned crushed pineapple provides a uniform moisture level and acidity that fresh fruit complicates. Fresh pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which breaks down proteins and prevents starches from setting properly into a gel. Substituting fresh fruit requires a preliminary cooking step to denature the enzymes, whereas canned fruit bypasses this chemical hurdle entirely while delivering consistent sugar content.
