Pineapple Coconut Dream Bars

I'm back friends! I'm slowly {and reluctantly} getting back into reality, but I'm so happy to be back to regular blogging. I missed you all! I promise this week will be more fun. Starting with these dreamy bars!

The summertime is filled with fun gatherings with friends and family. I love using these gatherings as an opportunity to turn up the creativity on my baked goods. Some of these events have spawned some really fun and delicious treats. Like my pretzel-crusted brownies, chocolate glazed potato chip shortbread, malted chocolate cupcakes and many, many others. So when I still had that jar of unopened virgin coconut oil sitting in my pantry, the creativity wheels started turning. What goes with coconut in the summertime? ...um, Pineapple!

In all honesty, I messed up these bars when I made them. My initial intention was to mix a can of crushed pineapple into the cake batter before baking. About halfway through the baking time, I stopped mid-conversation with Shaun and screamed out...

“I forgot to add the pineapple!”

Needless to say, his assessment of me being a crazy {yet loveable} lady was validated. But that was the whole point of the cake part - to have pineapple.

But as I’ve learned in baking...as long as you don’t screw up royally (like being unable to get your cake out of the pan...or forgetting to add a really major ingredient like baking soda), there is always a way to fix things. I decided to make a pineapple syrup on the stovetop by mixing the crushed pineapple with 1/2 C of sugar. While the cake was cooling, I merely poked holes all over the top of the cake and spooned some of the pineapple mixture onto it. Crisis averted.

They were super moist and fluffy...like biting into a cloud. I know it’s corny, but these pillowy bars are honestly one of the best things I’ve ever made. EVER. The cake is light vanilla with just a hint of pineapple. The frosting. Oooooh the frosting. The coconut oil adds a silky smoothness that I just have not achieved with butter along with just a subtle hint of coconut flavor. It all comes together in one heavenly bar that I really cannot get out of my mind.

Pineapple Coconut Dream Bars
For the pineapple bars:
*basic yellow cake recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
1 ¾ C cake flour (I use Swan’s Down)
½ C whole milk
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into pieces
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, in its own juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13 x 9 inch cake pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla together.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With the speed on medium low, beat the butter into the flour mixture. Continue to beat the mixture until it is moist crumbs. This will take about 1 minute.

Beat in all but 1/2 C of the milk mixture. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the remainder of the milk mixture, about 15 seconds. With a rubber spatula, add the crushed pineapple (or, if you forget, combine the pineapple and 1/2 C sugar on the stovetop until it lightly boils. Prick holes in the top of the cooled cake and spoon some of the pineapple over top).

Once the batter is thoroughly mixed, scrape the batter into the pan using a rubber spatula. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes (or more if not done). Cool and frost.

For the cream cheese coconut frosting:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
½ stick butter, at room temperature
2-3 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 C confectioners’ sugar
sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish

Beat the cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix in the vanilla and coconut oil. Beat in the sugar, 1 cup at a time. Beat until light and fluffy.

Carefully spread the frosting all over the cake. Sprinkle the top with the shredded coconut. Cut into squares - the perfect way to serve dessert at a party, in my opinion.

Aren’t they beautiful? I adore the simplicity of the white frosting with the shredded coconut. So chic. And so yummy.

And in this little bar size, it’s perfectly acceptable to eat like 2 or 3. Or 5.

So there you have it. One of my favorite desserts thus far. So what do you think?

What is your favorite summer flavor? Or your favorite flavor combination in general?

psst...Christine-bean is blogging about summer movies over at The Peach & The Pit. Hope you'll head over to check it out!

Pretzel Crusted Brownies with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

For me, the long holiday weekend was:
1. soooo enjoyable to have 4 days off from work
2. chock full of quality friends and family time
3. filled with lots {and I mean, lots} of eating delicious food

When Shaun and I realized that we’d be hitting the Jersey BBQ circuit over the holiday, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to test out some baked goods that I’ve been cooking up in my head.

When I think of baking for barbecues (or most parties for that matter), my mind immediately travels to something portable - a dessert that must meet the following:
1. it’s already portioned out on arrival, leaving a hand-over situation with the host(ess)
2. it can be easily nabbed off a platter - no tools, mess, or fuss
3. it can be eaten with nothing more than a thumb and index finger
4. the recipe makes a giant batch. If I’m going all out for a decadent dessert, you better believe that I plan to make a lot of it. No one gets left behind.

With all of these criteria in mind, I can really only think of one thing...bars. Brownies, blondies, cookie bars, cake bars...any of these are ideal for a party.

So with bars on the brain, I devised a fun and festive brownie recipe that is one for the permanent collection. Fudgy brownies. A buttery, salted pretzel crust. Fluffy white buttercream. With no less than 4 sticks of butter in this dessert, your skinny jeans will hate you for it, but your taste buds will rejoice. It’s a sweet, salty and mouthwatering brownie bar that I just can’t get enough of.

Pretzel Crusted Brownies with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
for the crust:
4 C pretzels
¾ C unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
½ C sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 13x9” baking pan with foil, letting some hang over the edges. Spray with cooking spray or grease with butter and flour.

Process pretzels in a food processor until chopped small, but not too finely. Meanwhile melt the butter in the microwave.
Transfer the pretzels to a mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar.
Mix in the melted butter. Press into a the baking pan and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust has set.

Cool in the refrigerator while you make the batter (note: I put the pan on a towel in the fridge so as not to break any glass shelves).

for the brownies:
*Adapted from BAKER’S One Bowl Brownies
4 oz BAKER’S unsweetened chocolate (4 squares)
¾ C unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C all purpose flour

Change oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Combine the butter and chocolate squares in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 10 second intervals until the butter is melted.
Transfer the butter/chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl or the bowl in your stand mixer.
With a rubber spatula, mix the chocolate pieces in the butter until they are completely melted.
Mix in the sugar (I used the paddle attachment on my mixer, but by hand will probably work too!)
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Mix in the flour.

Pour over the cooled pretzel crust and carefully smooth the edges so as not to pick up any pretzels.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out almost clean, but with a few fudgy crumbs. BUT, make sure that the middle has set!
Once the bars have completely (!) cooled, remove from the pan by carefully lifting out the bars from the pan using the foil overhang.

for the frosting:
½ C unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3 C confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk

In the stand of an electric mixer fitted w/paddle (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar, one cup at a time until completely combined.
Mix in the vanilla and milk (if the frosting is too thick, add more).
Once completely combined, carefully spread over the cooled brownies.

And while you're at it, feel free to sample. You deserve it.

Cut the brownies into squares and garnish with a small pretzel.

This not only ups the cuteness factor, but also clues in the partygoers to what is actually in your dessert! My tray made about 35 brownies - more than enough for a crew of hungry partiers.

So what do you think? What was your favorite dessert this holiday weekend?

It Could Be Worse

I love starting my week on a Tuesday, don't you?

Especially after a nice, long weekend of home improvement projects, barbecuing with friends and family and lounging in the hot Jersey sun. Things could be worse.

My waistline that was on the cusp of trimming down could now revolt.

At least I used a sandwich thin. Though my palette seriously missed out on the good, old-fashioned potato roll.

I could have found a delicious and refreshing new homemade poppy seed salad dressing that my sister Christine whipped up, possibly knocking out my favorite balsamic-honey-mustard dressing. The balsamic dressing simply won't be happy to hear about this.

I could have lamented that though I'm jumping for joy over corn season, Jersey corn hasn't quite hit yet, leaving all other corns inferior. But it's still fairly wonderful.

Especially when it's cut off the cob, leaving no pieces stuck in my teeth. Smart, right?

This little girl could have eaten her own doggie food, rather than hide out under the kids' chairs in hopes of finding lots of 'crumbs'.

I could have spent the day indoors or out on my sweltering terrace instead of lounging at my parents' pool with them, my sister Christine and my cousins.

Things could be worse.

How did you spend your long weekend? Any parties or picnics? And please weigh in...Do you eat your corn on or off the cob?