This is delightful and very simple. All you need is a lovely, ripe sweet pineapple from your favourite grocer.
- 1 large, extra sweet pineapple, peeled, cored
- 1 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp. white rum
- 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar
Preheat grill pan or barbecue to a medium heat. Submerge 8 wooden skewers in water and set aside for about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, rum, lime zest and lime juice until smooth. Set this aside.
Cut the pineapple lengthwise and thread onto the wooden skewers. Brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Grill, turning only once until they are golden in colour and caramelized. This should take about 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the rum glaze. You could also have a plate with cannelles of vanilla or coconut ice cream that have been frozen, allowing each person to add one to their plate to enjoy with the pineapple.
Note: This is really great with a perfectly chilled Gewurtztraminer glass of wine.
Lemon (or Lime) Poppyseed Cake/Muffins
The neat thing about this recipe, make muffins instead and you will be a big hit, add some lemon icing on top when hot out of the oven and it melts all down the sides. Trust me, you will love these.
- 3 3/4 cups flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 7 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 tsp. each of lemon and lime grated peel (1 1/2 tsp if just one or the other)
- 1/2 cup poppyseeds
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray muffin tins with butter flavoured pam spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In your electric mixer cream the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar and beat for another 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all is blended. Gradually drizzle the eggs and beat until it is smooth and fluffy. Reduce the speed on the mixer and slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Be sure to start and end with the flour.
Scrape down the bowl and then add the poppyseeds and citrus zest. Bake for about 25-30 minutes (I use the large muffin tins – I never use the smaller ones) and check at 20 minutes and then every 5 minutes until cooked through.
Remove from oven and let sit for a couple of minutes to cool down, run a knife carefully around the edges and invert. Turn them right-side up and let cool on racks
. Lemon Glaze
- 1 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
- 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon OR lime juice
Place in a bowl and, using a small whisk, mix until completely smooth. Drizzle over hot muffins. YUMMMMMMMMY!
Apple Streusel Muffins
This recipe is in my cookbook “The B & B Cookbook” (order from Amazon or your local library) and it is truly a great morning ‘waker-upper’.
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, vanilla and stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be stiff). Fold in the chopped apples.
Grease muffin tins and fill them 3/4 full.
Streusel Topping
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. cold butter
Combine the ingredients and cut in the butter until very crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over all the muffins and gently press to adhere.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick and if it comes out clean…done
Cool for five minutes before removing to a rack. One more thing….
Glaze
1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
1-2 tbsp. cream (not milk)
1 tsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Mix together until combined and smooth. Drizzle over the muffins. Need I say – OMG these are good.
Coffee any one?
Cherry Cake
This is a little bit of a ‘cheater’ cake seeing that you use a cake mix, but the finished product belies that. This is yummy and great for the girls when they show up for coffee. Hint: Keep your windows open while this is baking and your doorbell will probably ring.
- 1- 18 1/4 ounce white cake mix
- 1 cup flour
- 1 package dry yeast (1 tbsp)
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 2 large eggs
- 21 oz. can of cherry pie filling
- 1/3 cup butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 1/2 cups cake mix, flour and yeast in a bowl. Add the lukewarm water, stirring until smooth. Stir in the eggs.
Spoon batter into a prepared 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Spoon pie filling carefully over the batter and set aside.
Cut butter into remaining cake, mix with a pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the pie filling. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
While cake is cooling on a wire rack, prepare the glaze and drizzle over the cake. Cut into squares. Note: If you would prefer Blueberry pie filling….go for it. This truly is a great dessert.
Glaze
- 1 cup sifted icing sugar
- 1 tbsp. corn syrup
- 1 tbsp. water
Mix together until blended and drizzle over the cake. YUM!