This post is brought to by Woolworths Select
I don’t know what’s going on with the weather where you live but here in Sydney it’s warming up! And I’m thinking summer holidays, trips to the beach, salad and ice cream. Pineapple also makes me think of warmer weather for some reason. And canned pineapple is one of those foods that I always have in my pantry. Are you one of those people who always has chickpeas, tuna and beetroot cans in your pantry. Well pineapple is usually there too because it’s so great in fried rice, on homemade pizza and in cakes. Growing up my favourite dinner was ham steaks and pineapple rings…….mmmmm. So retro.
Woolworths Select are now using Australian fruit in their canned fruit ranges and this is good news….for everyone. I do read labels and try to buy Australian products where I can and when it comes to fruit why wouldn’t you. We have great fresh produce here in Australia and the fruit that goes into the Woolworths Select canned fruit range is picked in summer from some of Australia’s best fruit producing regions including the Goulburn Valley.
I’ve got two fabulous pineapple recipes to share with you today and both got the big thumbs up in our house. First up is a deliciously fresh pineapple granita that is great for people who love iced desserts, don’t have fancy ice cream makers or kitchen gadgets and it’s especially great for those watching their weight or who don’t like heavy desserts. I told the kids it was a slushie and it’s not as sweet as what they are used to but they enjoyed some. This is a great summer dessert and can easily be made on a weeknight and then eaten for the rest of the week.
Now the other pineapple recipe I made isn’t so healthy but oh it is good. Pineapple upside down cake with maraschino cherries. Now this is something that I was really nervous about but I shouldn’t have been.
It’s basically a basic butter cake and the base of the cake tin has pineapple rings, cherries, butter and brown sugar and it all cooks itself beautifully in the oven. I think this is a great one if people are coming over and you want a show stopper or if you want to surprise the family with something a bit more special than a bowl of ice cream or some fruit for dessert. And the crispy caramel sides of the cake are the best bit. Definitely a winner and one I’ll be making again……
- 2 cans Woolworths Select pineapple pieces in juice, drained
- (reserve a few tablespoons of juice from the can)
- a handful of fresh mint leaves
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 - 4 Tbsp raw sugar
- Place pineapple pieces, mint leaves, lemon juice, a few tablespoons of juice from the can and sugar into your food processor and process for a minute until finely chopped. You can do this in the thermomix for about 20 seconds speed 5
- You can also do it with a hand blender. Whatever you have.
- Pour into a shallow plastic container (a rinsed out ice cream tub would work well too) and place in the freezer.
- After about an hour check on it and as it starts to freeze you are going to get a fork and grate it up. Do this a couple of times.
- Serve.....enjoy.
- 1 can Woolworths Select pineapple rings in juice/syrup
- 6 or 7 cherries (glace or maraschino)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 75g butter, melted
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 125g butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- vanilla essence/extract
- 2 cups self raising flour
- ½ cup milk
- Melt butter and place in bottom of round or square cake tin
- place brown sugar over the top of the butter and gently combine so that it's evenly distributed over the bottom of the cake tin
- place pineapple rings over the bottom of the cake tin and pop a cherry in the middle of each. Cute.
- Now make your cake batter by creaming the butter, sugar and vanilla. I do mine in the thermomix for 20 seconds on speed 5. You could just use a good old wooden spoon for this
- Add in eggs one at a time then milk and self raising flour. 20 seconds on speed 5 will do it in the thermomix then add the flour and milk and mix for another 20 seconds.
- Again just use a spoon or whatever you use for baking to mix if you don't have a machine.
- Gently pour over the top of the pineapple rings and very gently spread evenly without moving those precious pineapple rings
- Bake in a preheated 180C/350F oven for about 35-40 minutes until the cake is cooked right through
- Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of your cake tin. Using a plate on the top of the cake tin, tip it over and leave the tin suspended for all the goodness to come out. Now at the same time take a peek and check that nothing is stuck to the bottom of the tin.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
- Now I know it doesn't look it but this cake is quite forgiving and even if everything sticks to the pan you could slide them out, assemble the cake. I had a few pineapple rings stick. If I was serving for guests then I could have melted a little butter and brown sugar and drizzled it over the top! Or my old friend.................a dusting of icing sugar.....saves everything!
I love e non-thermomix recipes, for those of us who ad grad students lucky to have a hand mixer and blender, not even a food processor or kitchen aid!
I just made a pineapple upside down and with the leftovers made a pineapple coconut and lime ice cream. Your granita looks lovely.
ohhh now that sounds good with coconut and lime! delicious!
ooh yes please i’ll have one of each!
they were so good!
thank you
Corrie:)
Love an upside down cake – so very retro. I am a fan of the pineapple fritter, dusted with sugar and cinnamon. I can never place a fish n chip order without adding a couple of fritters to the mix! xo
oh yes the pineapple fritter! so good!!!!! I don’t know if I want my kids to know what they are:)
Oh I used to bake pineapple cake as a little girl, so yummy!
oh you lucky thing!!!! I bet you have great memories of it
Corrie:)
Yum Corrie. The upside down cake takes me back to my childhood when when we lived on the beach and I’d run home to see what Mum had made for afternoon tea – this was one of the loved ones!
awwwww you are lucky! what memories! I can just imagine it
There’s nothing quite like an upside down cake! Totally making this for Mr Smags. He’ll love me forever!
just make sure you use a gluten free flour:)
he is lucky to have you
That cake looks so lovely and fancy!
I haven’t tried any of her gluten free recipes, but I have tried a few other recipes and they are delicious (specifically the dark chocolate fudge brownies). In the recipe index there is gluten free toward the bottom. http://www.christinamarsigliese.com/p/recipe-index.html
ooohh thanks will have to go and check out
thanks
Corrie:)
I have been looking for healthy dessert recipes.. I’m on a mission to lose this damn baby weight and there is only so much Greek yoghurt you can have before the temptation to eat ice cream kicks in. This should totally satisfy my dessert lust.
yep this is a good one and not too sweet which is good too!
I’m so glad that Woolworths is using australian pineapple. Sometimes I get so annoyed not being about to find Aussie canned fruit I refuse to buy it. We live in such a country of abundance yet we have to import fruit – please…!!
Well done Woollies!
Love Pineapple upside down cake warm with some custard!!
it is good isn’t it! I feel the same way and read labels, check things and I think it’s a great move
Thanks
Corrie:)
I feel the same way!
I’m popping over for the granita at the weekend haha
well with your wizz bang kitchen aid blender you can just blitz it all in that!!!!