Pineapple Cream Pie

Pineapple Cream Pie

Sunday dinner is just not complete without some kind of dessert. Our family favorite  seems to be pie and I felt the need to break out of the usual pie choices and try a new recipe. For some reason, I was intrigued with the idea of pineapple pie.

When I asked Ryan if he had ever had Pineapple Pie, I learned a little bit of our Centerton  history. Before I even thought about marrying a dairy farmer, Centerton had a couple, Thelma and Dale Woody,  that owned a restaurant business in Centerton on Main Street. Ryan had fond memories of Pineapple Pie made by Dale and served by Thelma. The story definitely pushed me to try the Pineapple Cream Pie recipe. The fact that the recipe I chose to use called for Dairy sour cream cinched the decision!

I had looked online for a recipe but decided to go to my old Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. My copy is nearly vintage now but  the outcome of this pie still proves its usefulness--at least for my kitchen! 

Pineapple Cream Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1-pound 41/2 ounce can

   (2 1/2 cups) crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup dairy sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 slightly beaten egg yolks

1 9-in baked pastry shell

Meringue (made with 2 egg whites)

Directions:

In saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt. Stir in next 3 ingredients. Cook and stir till mixture thickens and bubbles; cook and stir 2 minutes.Stir small amount hot mixture into yolks; return to hot mixture,

stirring constantly. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Spoon into cooled pastry shell. Spread meringue a top pie, sealing meringue to edge of pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool before cutting.

October Treat

Even though we can buy apples year round, there's just something special when given apples from a friend's own tree.  We don't know the name of the apple but I would describe them as a mild Granny Smith--slightly tart but perfect for baking in cake or pie.  Kicking off October with a new cake recipe that filled the kitchen with smells of cinnamon and apples seemed the perfect way to celebrate the gift of fall apples. I read through a lot of recipes posted on line and even though many were very similar to the one I chose, I trusted my old cookbook,Sassafras!

The recipe was easy to make and the brown sugar icing was finger lickin' good!
I'm pretty sure this cake will be a family favorite especially when you add a dip or two
of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon.


Alley Spring Apple Cake

                                                              Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4  teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups peeled, chopped apples
1 cup chopped pecans

Brown Sugar Icing:
 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
 1/2 cup butter
 1/4 cup evaporated milk
 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a bundt pan. In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar and eggs.
Add vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and salt.
Blend into oil mixture. Fold in apples and pecans. Pour into prepared pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes.
Remove cake from pan and cool. To prepare icing, bring brown sugar, butter and milk to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat with a spoon until icing is cool. Drizzle over cake. Serves 12 to 15.


                                                        Happy October!

Sweet Mother'sDay

                                          Mother's Day is one of the sweetest celebrations
                                                   when surrounded by the ones you love.

                                It was a great time of food, fellowship and of course...dessert!
                                  You can't beat a piece of Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake
                                             topped with strawberries and vanilla ice cream.
                     

Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
1 8 oz  pkg. cream cheese,softened
3 cups sifted cake flour
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Cream butter and shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed with electric mixer.
Add cream cheese,beating well until light and fluffy. Alternately add flour, and eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until pick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

                                                    Happy Mother's Day!

Sweet August

I can't think of a better way to end July and welcome  August than with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a delicious piece of White Texas Sheet Cake.  This Taste of Home magazine recipe has been in my recipe collection file since 1993 but today was my first time to bake and serve it to my family.  It was easy to make and  a perfect Sunday dessert to serve the family!

White Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs,beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar,sifted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional


Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in flour,sugar,eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda until smooth. Pour into a greased 15-in x 10-in. baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until cake is golden and tests done. Cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, for frosting, combine butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; add sugar and extract and mix well. Stir in walnuts if desired; spread over warm cake.

Yield: 16-20 servings

                                                               Happy August!

Mother's Day Trifle

A couple of years ago, I thought it would be great to have some mint growing in a flower bed. You probably know the rest of the story. With the invasive characteristic of mint, I could share mint beyond my local community!

What better way to use a few sprigs of mint than on servings of Midwest Dairy's 

Mint Brownie Trifle.

It will be a perfect addition to any Mother's Day celebration

 and a delicious way to share an abundance of mint. 

Mint Brownie Trifle

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray

1 package (19.5 oz.) milk chocolate brownie mix

1/3 cup vanilla non-fat Greek-style yogurt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

14 creme de menthe chocolate layered

      mints (Andes mints) cut into small pieces

For pudding:

1 package (3.3 oz) white chocolate instant pudding mix

2 cups fat-free milk

For topping:

3 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese

1/3 cup vanilla non-fat Greek-style yogurt

4 teaspoons confectioners sugar

For mint curl decoration: 6 creme de

menthe chocolate layered mints

Directions:

For brownies,preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of a 9x13 in. baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine brownie mix,eggs,yogurt, and vegetable oil. Stir with a spoon until well blended. Stir in mint pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of brownies has moist crumbs attached. allow brownies to cool completely. Cut into small pieces.

For pudding, combine pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Mix according to package directions.

For topping, combine cream cheese, yogurt and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Beat with electric mixer until well blended.

For mint curl decoration, use a vegetable peeler to make small curls by shaving down the long edge of the mint.

Layer the pudding and brownies in a 3 quart trifle bowl in two layers. Spoon the topping over the top layer. Decorate with mint curls. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Yields approximately 20 servings.

To serve as individual portions: Use 12 4-ounce jelly jars. Spoon one tablespoon of pudding in each jar.Then cut approximately 2" square brownie and break it apart into 4-6 chunky pieces. Drop brownie pieces into the jar on top of pudding. Repeat process with one tablespoon of pudding and chunky brownie pieces until jar is full. Finish with one tablespoon of topping and garnish with mint curl decoration. Cover and chill until ready to serve. This method yields approximately 12 servings.

Fruit Salsa Yogurt Parfait

I picked 5 strawberries from my three brave  strawberry plants that survived our harsh winter. What can you do with 5 strawberries? The simple answer is--just eat them! Thanks to strawberry farmers, I bought fresh strawberries this weekend  and can combine them with my five to try  Fruit Salsa Yogurt Parfait from the recipe collection of Dairy Makes Sense.


Fruit Salsa Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:
 1 can (15 oz) peach slices in juice
1 can (8oz) pineapple chunks in juice
2 kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 cup strawberries,chopped
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and ground ginger
1 carton (32 ounces) non-fat vanilla yogurt

Preparation:
Drain peach slices, discarding juice. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Chop peaches and pineapple.

Toss peaches, pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, brown sugar, spices and reserved pineapple juice in a medium bowl.

Layer 1/2 cup yogurt with 6 tablespoons of fruit salsa in each of 8 parfait glasses or dessert dishes. Serve immediately.

Saturday's Sweet Treat

If you're needing a quick, easy and delicious fresh fruit recipe for a busy schedule, I suggest Berry Brownie Pudding.  What better way to enjoy fresh local fruit and nutritious milk!


Berry Brownie Pudding

Ingredients:

4 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 packages (4 serving size each) vanilla pudding mix
1 cup of 1-inch low-fat brownie pieces
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries

Preparation:
Add milk to pudding mix and prepare according to directions on box (instant pudding may be substituted).

Place half of brownie pieces on bottom of a medium glass bowl and layer with half of vanilla pudding, 1 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries.

Repeat layers with remainder of ingredients. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Substitution Idea: If fresh berries are not in season, you  can also use frozen berries, thawed.

Busy Day Dessert

A couple of years ago, one of our  creative church members took the time to collect favorite recipes  frequently shared at our church dinners. This recipe collection is truly a labor of love and a cherished keepsake.

 I've enjoyed Coconut Cream Cake many times but last weekend was my first time to bake this cake. It is quite a delight and perfect for a hectic schedule that doesn't allow much time in the kitchen. My cooking time was limited last weekend, so for Easter dinner it was the perfect dessert recipe   and from the family reviews, it will be on our list of favorites!


Coconut Cream Cake

1 White Cake Mix
1 can (15oz) Cream of Coconut
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1-8oz. Cool Whip
1 cup flaked coconut

Bake cake according to directions on box in 13x9 inch pan. While cake is baking, mix cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk together; set aside. Remove cake from oven when done and poke holes with fork all over; pour liquid mixture over the cake while hot. Place cake in refrigerator to cool; after cake has cooled, top with cool whip and sprinkle flaked coconut on top. It gets better everyday. Store in refrigerator.

                                                                           Happy Friday!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Our Mother's Day tradition includes  a family dinner topped with a special dessert. Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake, topped with strawberries and vanilla ice cream is a perfect choice!


Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 cup butter,softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
1 8oz cream cheese,softened
3 cups sifted flour
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and shortening; gradually add sugar,beating well at medium speed. Add cream cheese,beating well until light and fluffy. Alternately add flour and eggs, beginnng and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until pick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

                                                                               
                                                                         
                                                       From our dairy farm family to you--

                                                              HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Celebrating Birthdays and Friendships

What do you give a friend for her December   birthday  who has everything and  tells you not to buy any birthday gift ?   Birthday cake seemed the perfect choice--not a purchased gift,nothing to dust but straight from the heart to celebrate a friend's special day!    Rave Reviews Coconut Cake is a great cake for any occasion and from past experience,  it's always a tasty treat for any celebration.

Rave Reviews Coconut Cake

1 package yellow cake mix (2 layer size)
1 package (4 serving) Jello Brand Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 1/3 cup water
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 cups sweetened  coconut flakes
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Blend cake mix,pudding mix,water,eggs and oil in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for four minutes. Stir in coconut and nuts. Pour into three greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans for 15 minutes,remove and cool on wire rack. Fill and top with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups sweetened  coconut flakes
1 package 8 oz. cream cheese
2 teaspoons milk
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet, add coconut,stirring constantly over low heat until golden brown. Spread coconut on paper towel to cool. Cream 2 tablespoons butter with cream cheese; add milk and beat in sugar gradually. Blend in vanilla. Sitr in 1 3/4 cups of the coconut. Spread frosting  on top of each layer,stack and ice top and sides. Sprinkle remaining coconut on top.

Sweet September!

Just when my frustration reached the "I'm leaving home and not coming back" level this week after lightning burned the telephone lines and killed the electronics, I took a deep breath and gave thanks for the rain that did follow that lightning!

To celebrate the rain, the first day of September,the first Razorback football game of the season, and the fact that I now am back to full plugged in status with telephones,computer,fax and printer back in working order,I baked a new cake recipe found in my Jim Graham's Family Cookbook for City Folks!

Honey Bun Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix cake mix,oil,eggs, and milk until well blended. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan or dish. Mix together the nuts,brown sugar, and cinnamon. sprinkle over batter, and swirl into batter with a spoon. bake for 50 minutes.
Prepare topping: Blend ingredients well, and spread on cake as soon as it is removed from oven. Delicious served warm. Serves 12 or 15.

 

Happy September!!

Dairymom's Mother's Day Tradition

Celebrating Mother's Day with a family dinner is our long standing tradition. After an action packed week of dairy farm chores and off the farm volunteer activities, I've got a zillion things to get done in preparation for our after church Mother's Day cookout. Tomorrow's dessert will be Crusty Cream Cheese Cream Pound Cake topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries. You can't go wrong with this sweet treat and it's one of my Mother's favorite!

Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake
1 cup butter,softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
1 8 oz. package cream cheese,softened
3 cups sifted flour
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of electric mixer. Add cream cheese, beating well until light and fluffy. Alternately add flour and eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla.
Pour batter into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until pick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

                                                                                 
                                                                Happy Mother's Day!