Pineapple Square Bars #SundaySupper

Hi Everyone and Happy Sunday to you!

Today is another Sunday Supper assignment.  This week we were told to make something Retro.  Retro?  All I could think about was retro candy.  What is retro when it comes to meals?  Hmmm, was there something that Grandma or Mom made when you were a kid and you completely forgot about it?  The only thing I could think of was goolash.  My mind went blank.  I asked my Husband what he ate as a kid, and of course I got I dunno?  Then he said Shit on a Shingle.  I said what?  What the heck is that?  I told him I couldn’t post something with that name.   He laughed at me.  So I asked him what is S.O.S?  He said it was food of the depression, basically it was some sort of peas in a sauce put on bread.  That did not sound appealing at all!!  But I was curious and goggled it!!  S.O.S is beef stock and evaporated milk thickened with a roux, seasoned with parsley and pepper served on bread.  It appeared in the military in 1910.  I guess Nestle’s sold it on a can.  Yuck!!!  Canned beef!  Blah!!!  So I asked my Hubby again, give me something else, and he gave me this.

This is my Husbands Mom’s recipe for Pineapple Bars.  Let me tell you, this was not an easy recipe to come by!!  My Husband told me that his Mom used to make a pineapple bar that was really good.  I asked for more of a description and he said that is all he remembers, except that it was really good!!  Great, that wasn’t any help at all.  So what do I do?  I decided to e-mail his brother and I asked, do you know about the pineapple bars your Mom made?  I figured he wouldn’t have a clue what I was talking about.  Sure enough, he was yah the pineapple bars, they were so good!  Mom would make them a couple of times a year.  He knew with the words pineapple bars exactly was I was talking about.  They must of been some good bars to remember them after all these years and not give any description except for the name.  He said he would ask his wife if she had the recipe.  Well with in 48 hours I got an e-mail back, saying that he asked his Sister, who asked their other Sister for the recipe.  Needless to say my Husbands Sister hand wrote the recipe out for me and put it in the mail.  A week later it was in my hand.  One thing I didn’t tell you is that I didn’t tell my Husband I was doing this.  I wanted to surprise him with one of his Mom’s recipes.  I was so excited to make this for him.  See, I never met his Mom and he talks about her often and I thought this would be a nice tribute to her and to give him a piece of his childhood.

I looked at the recipe and gasped!  This was not going to be easy!!  I had to make pie dough.  I never made pie dough before and I knew this was going to be a disaster.  With this recipe you can’t cheat and buy a pre-made pie dough either because it is made with sour cream.   So I did my best.  I made the dough and I had to refrigerate it for 24 hours, then the tough part came.  I had to divide the dough in half and roll it out to fit a 11 x 15 cake pan.  I was surprised, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.  The filling is made with crushed pineapple from the can, sugar and cornstarch and it was heated until it was nice and thick.

I layered the pineapple on top of the first layer of dough and then I had to put the top layer of dough on top of the pineapple.  That was tricky, but I did it!  I baked it in the oven and once it cooled the recipe said to make Running Frosting.  I had no clue what that was, so I asked on Facebook and I was told it was a Royal Frosting that was thin and harden quickly.   You know the frosting they put on sugar cookies.  Once the bars cooled, I put a layer of Royal Frosting on top and sprinkled it with walnuts.  I did it!!  My Husband was home the whole time I was making these, but he was working on his car, so he had no idea what I was up to!!  He he!!

I called my Husband into the house and told him to come here.  I handed him a plate of pineapple bars.  He looked at them and said, what is that with a big smile.  Now you have to know, when I cook stuff he doesn’t get to excited, unless I tell you otherwise.   I said they are pineapple bars.  He knew exactly what they were!    He said they were almost like his Mom’s.  He said he didn’t remember the frosting, then I told him but that was what is on her recipe.  Then he said oh yah, it was a very thin layer, almost transparent layer of frosting.  Then he ate three of them and said they are so good, gave me a kiss on my forehead and said thank you.  Then he went on to tell me his Mom would make them twice a year, on big baking sheets.  I can see why she only made them a couple of times of year.  The dough on top was the hard part.  The rest wasn’t to bad.  I have to tell you, I asked my Hubby if I could take some to work, and he grabbed the pan and said no, they’re mine.  lol  He never has done that before.  Normally he says ok!  So that is my retro recipe for you!!

I gave you the story behind these bars, but I never told you what I thought of them.  I have to say they are amazing!  I never had anything like these in my life.  They really do remind me of something that I would have had during my childhood.   I have never seen anywhere this kind of recipe!  This is recipe is defiantly one that my Mom or Grandma would have made.  The dough is so light and flaky and the magical pineapple filling takes you to another place.  I can’t forget the thin layer of frosting which added a touch of sweetness to pull it all together.  This is one recipe that I am proud to have made.  It’s not my normal healthy recipe that I would post, and I could have made modifications to healthify it, but somethings you just don’t touch!!  This is my Husbands Mom’s recipe and I didn’t want to ruin it or make any kind of modifications.  So with that said, this is a treat and I am not giving you the calories on it because somethings are best unknown!

I am really glad I got to share this recipe with you today because my Husband wasn’t going to let me share it, but I begged him.  I told him it was to good not to share with the world.  He agreed when I told him it was for the Sunday Supper post, knowing  what Sunday Supper meant, he said ok.  :)

Don’t forget to check out everyone’s fabulous recipes.  I can’t wait to see what retro recipes they made today!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Toodles,

Jen

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite Retro Food Memory with us!

Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:

• Irish Cheddar-Whiskey Fondue by girlichef
• Retro Football Party: Fondue, Deviled Chicken Wings & Lemon Chiffon by Zest Florida Foodie
• She Devils: Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs by Ruffles & Truffles

 Sunday Supper Retro Salads:

• Coca-Cola Salad by Magnolia Days
• Salmon Salad | Retro Tuna Salad by Family Foodie
• Ambrosia Salad by Simply Gourmet
• Romaine “Wedge” Salad with Hot Maple Bacon Dressing by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Carrot & Raisin Salad by The Roxx Box
• Sweet & Smoky Broccoli Salad by In The Kitchen with KP

 Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:

• Italian Style Bread by The Meltaways
• Creamed Chipped Salmon Jerky on Toast  by Pescetarian Journal
• Grown-Up Tuna Melts by Home Cooking Memories
• English Muffin Pizzas by Comfy Cuisine
• Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake by Mooshu Jenne
• Grown-Up Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup by The Catholic Foodie
• Toast Topper #16: Grandma’s Mock Apricot Jam by Yummy What Smells So Good?

SundaySupper Main Dishes:

• Chicken Pot Pie Topped With Bacon Cheddar Biscuits by Chocolate Moosey
• Tuna Noodle Casserole by Country Girl in the Village
• Nana’s Marinated Beef Roast by Supper for a Steal
• Chorizo Scotch Eggs by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken Maryland by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Mushroom Stroganoff by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Dairyfree Toast Hawaii by Galactosemia in PDX
• Porcupine Meatballs by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Chicken Kiev by The Urban Mrs.
• Salmon Quiche with Preserved Lemon by Shockingly Delicious
• Steak Diane by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Fried Chicken only in the Oven by In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Hambak Steak a.k.a. Salisbury Steak by Kimchi Mom
• Retro-Redo: Homemade TV Dinner by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Kicked Up Meatloaf by Curious Cuisiniere
• Shrimp Scampi (a lighter version) by Kudos Kitchen
• Old-Fashioned Pork Chops by My Trial in the Kitchen
• Jägerschnitzel by Sustainable Dad
• Healthier Hamburger-Corn Noodle Casserole by The Weekend Gourmet
• Tuna Noodle Casserole by Cookistry
• Chicken-N-Biscuits Pot Pie Casserole by The Messy Baker Blog
• Souper Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes by Mama.Mommy.Mom
• Meatloaf that will make you swoon and Datz the truth by Midlife Roadtrip

Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:

• Smokey Braised Red Cabbage by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Classic Corn Casserole by The Foodie Army Wife
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Balsamic by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Classic Green Bean Casserole Redux by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Mem’s Broccoli Casserole by Momma’s Meals
• Tator Tot Casserole by Neighbor Food Blog

 Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:

• Peachy Keen Tutti-Frutti Jello by La Cocina de Leslie
• Old School Boozy Rum Cake by Webicurean
• Individual Baked Alaskas by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Rainbow Jello by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake by Noshing with the Nolands
• Pineapple Bars by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Creamy Dairy Free Fresh Orange Julius With Coconut Milk  by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Refrigerator Strawberry Cheesecake by There and Back Again
• Frozen Pineapple Upside-Down Cake by Juanita’s Cocina
• Boston Cream Pie by Gotta Get Baked
• Coca-Cola Cupcakes by Daily Dish Recipes
•  Jello Poke Cake by Flour On My Face
• Devil’s Food Cake by Maroc Mama
• Bread Pudding with Pecans by Basic and Delicious
• Victoria Sponge Cake by The Lovely Pantry
• A Chocolate Twist on the Classic Japanese Strawberry Shortcake by Ninja Baking
• Post War Apple Pudding by My Cute Bride
• Spaghetti with Currywurst Sauce by Masala Herb
• Layered Mini Chocolate Banana Cakes by Big  Bears Wife
• Raspberry Jam Cakes by Pippis in the Kitchen Again
• Cocktail: Moscow Mule by Crazy Foodie Stunts