Old School Dessert: Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I had forgotten how much I like pineapple upside down cake until I came across this recipe. My first recollection of eating PUD cake was during my parent's card club soirees. As a kid with a budding interest in food, I would sneak out of my room to the kitchen where I would eye the buffet, set with food we didn't normally eat. Tiny sandwiches, meatballs, and other savory appetizers next to a fancy lime sherbet punch served in pretty glasses. And then that cake. Glistening pineapple studded with bright red cherries. Like a jeweled, exotic dessert! I'm pretty sure those card club nights shaped my young world view of food.

This particular recipe takes me right back to that childhood memory. A tender cake with not-too-sweet topping. I'm not a fan of maraschino cherries, so I replaced them with pecan halves. Feel free to use either, both or omit. This cake would be just as tasty with the pineapple alone.

Combine topping ingredients in a medium saucepan. Boil
until a candy thermometer registers 235-240 degrees. 

Place topping in cake pan. Top with pineapple slices. Set aside.

Use the same pan to mix up the cake batter. No need to clean!
 

Place batter on top of filling and bake.

Bake cake until golden brown. Let cool in pan 10 minutes.
Run a spatula around the edge to loosen.

Place serving platter over cake in pan. Holding the
platter and cake pan, flip cake over. Remove pan.

Cake can be served with ice cream or whipped
cream. I like it without the extras.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Yield: 8-10 servings

Topping
20-ounce can pineapple rings, well drained, juice reserved
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice, reserved from rings 

maraschino cherries or pecan halves, optional

Cake
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup pineapple juice, reserved from rings

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" cake pan.

Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the brown sugar and pineapple juice until well blended. Cook over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat and boil until the mixture thickens a little, and the temperature reaches 235°F to 240°F (soft-ball stage). Depending on pan size, this will take between 3 and 5 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a bit of the syrup into a glass of cold water; it will form a soft, flexible ball when it's reached the proper temperature. 

Pour the sauce into the prepared pan. Set your saucepan aside; don't wash it, you'll be using it again. Arrange the drained pineapple slices in the pan. Place a maraschino cherry or pecan half into the middle of each pineapple slice, if desired. Set aside.

Make the cake: Place the butter for the cake into the saucepan. Swirl the butter around to melt it, and mix in any remaining sugar syrup; don't worry if it has some lumps. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the flour and pineapple juice to the mixture. Whisk until fairly smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until evenly browned. Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a spatula around the edges to loosen, and turn it out onto a serving plate. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Old School Dessert: Graham Cracker Pudding

Graham cracker pudding is a dessert I make for just the two of us - too provincial for company,  it's something we eat out of our everyday bowls (or salad plates, if nearby), scraping up the crumbs with our spoons (ahem, fingers). I was introduced to it during visits to Amish restaurants. I found a recipe in Bountiful Ohio (a cookbook devoted to recipes from Ohio food enthusiasts) and modified it slightly to suit our tastes.

Despite being a pudding, the recipe doesn't require tempering of eggs, or pre-baking of the crust. It comes together fast and is a real family pleaser. I mean, what's not to like about grahams and pudding topped with silky meringue?

This is a great dessert to make if you have extra milk on hand. I've used 1%, 2% and whole milk; all work well, although whole milk makes the creamiest pudding.

Combine crust ingredients and press into the bottom and halfway up sides of a 2 quart baking dish.
Tip: use the bottom of a glass to tightly pack the crumbs for a uniform crust.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a
medium saucepan. Add slightly beaten egg yolks.

Add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Don't worry if you notice egg solids -
they'll smooth out as the pudding is heated. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir one
minute longer (see video below for correct consistency).
Pour the pudding into the crust and prepare meringue.

For meringue, whip egg whites and cream of tarter just until frothy. Slowly add 2 Tbsp sugar and
whip until peaks form. Tip: whip egg whites in a stainless steel
or copper bowl to increase volume.

Meringue will be shiny but able to hold a peak.

Place meringue on top of pudding, making sure it touches the side of the baking dish.
Tip: add a decorative element by using spatula to draw up peaks.

Bake pudding at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Meringue should be nicely browned.
Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.

Because the crust isn't baked prior to filling,
it's more tender and looser than a traditional graham crust.

Graham Cracker Pudding
6 generous servings

Crust:
14 whole graham crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup salted butter, melted

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of cream of tartar
2 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine crust ingredients and press into the bottom and halfway up sides of a 2-quart baking dish. In a large saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt. Slightly beat egg yolks and add to saucepan along with milk; mix well. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula until very thick. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Pour into crust.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy; gradually add 2 Tbsp sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Top pudding with beaten egg whites, making sure meringue touches sides of baking dish. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

What sorts of old school desserts do you make?