Hard as it is to believe, August is coming to an end (*shudders*). The Labour Day long weekend is here and I, like many folks, love to use it as a great excuse to get in at least one more big, festive, fabulous seasonal feast.
While I am looking forward to autumn and its rich harvest, I'm not ready to wave buh-bye to summer and its sensational culinary offerings either, which is why I've been crazy for this super fun vintage recipe for Pineapple Marshmallow Dessert as of late.
It's dead simple to make, is fairly budget friendly, can be made gluten-free in a snap (just use GF graham crackers, such as those from Kinnikinnick, which are also egg-free to boot, and ensure that your marshmallows are GF, too - Kraft's always are, so that's the brand I stick with), and is such an enjoyable medley of tastes and textures.
{Sweet with a hint of appealing tang from the pineapple, crunchy, gooey and warm all at the same time, this fun 1950s dessert recipe is so evocative of the era it hails from and will be a welcome treat on any table this Labour Day long weekend (or any other time of the year!). Vintage recipe image source.}
This fun vintage pineapple dessert recipe is somewhat redolent of s'mores sans chocolate, which makes me adore it all the more (I’m a die-hard s’mores fan!), and would also be sensational for any sort of tiki, Hawaiian, or South Pacific themed dinner and/or party.
The walnuts are nice, but not necessary, and can easily be left out or swapped for another nut of your choice. Though they do tend to burn easily, Brazil and macadamia nuts would both be great choices here that would up the tropical treat factor all the more.
It's also really enjoyable served warm from oven with a generous scope of vanilla, berry, peach, caramel, coconut, or white chocolate ice cream (dairy or non-dairy, as desired) on top. If you only have canned pineapple chunks or tidbits, you can easily use those here, too, though full rings do look especially pretty and really channel a great mid-century vibe that can't help but make one think of pineapple upside down cake.
Quick, delicious, festive and fun, this charming 1950s pineapple marshmallow dessert is just the thing to help capture all that's wonderful about the last few weeks of summertime eating and is sure to become as a firm a favourite with your family as it already has with mine.
Have a stellar, sunny, beautiful last weekend of August, everyone! (I'm off to do some end-of-the-season yard saling while I still can!)
I love these posts and it always reminds me that I should look through a couple of my vintage 50s cookbooks and try a recipe or two! x
ReplyDeleteI hope that that turn out great for you, if you, dear gal. I cook from my vintage cookbooks (and online recipe finds) on a regular basis and am frequently impressed by the last century's recipe offerings. Granted sometimes I have and/or want to adapt things and also jazz some recipes up a bit, but the bones are there, so to speak, and the results are usually terrific.
DeleteMany thanks for your lovely comment. Have a fabulous last weekend of August!
♥ Jessica
That recipe looks delicious! :) I cant wait for the Fall :) My favorite season :) Me and my daughter are really excited for Pumpkin Picking :) and finally we will go to Central Park again. Summer was way to hot to spend it outside ... And since now the weather cools off we will take a walk there again :)
ReplyDeleteOoohh, autumn in central park sound simply amazing!!! I've seen many photos (and some scenes in movies) of it then and it always looks breathtaking. I hope that you two have a stellar season! We go pumpkin picking in a small community about 35 - 40 minutes south of us, too, and it is always one of the best highlights of the season.
DeleteWishing you a sunny, terrific tail end of summer!
♥ Jessica
Yet another dessert delight from my youth. I swear you're finding all the recipes my mother used to make!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Ally! It makes me smile with delight to hear you say that, as I really do try to keep most of the recipes that I share here squarely mid-century. Though I was born in the 80s, I grew up with a lot of these kinds of foods myself, as both my grandmas, and by extension sometimes my mom and aunts, were still making them when I was little. They're homey, delicious, and now nostalgic for me as well - though, as I make many myself to this day, it's a very active sort of nostalgia! :D
DeleteWishing you a fantastic weekend, my friend!
♥ Jessica
I don't think I've ever eaten pineapple and marshmallow together - but I should! Enjoy the last few days of August... I am in mourning for summer already over here, but I never have been one for autumn (why do you need it when your summer is giving you all the autumn you need?!) x
ReplyDeleteIf you enjoy the two flavours separately, chances are you'll love them together (I do!). They harmonize really nicely, IMO, as the intense sweetness of the marshmallows helps to temper the natural acidity of the pineapple. In fact, come to think of it, I'm a bit surprised that we don't see them more often (together) still in foods. Perhaps that combo will experience a renaissance one of these days.
DeleteFingers crossed that summer lingers a while longer for you!
Big hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
Love these pineapple posts!! Pineapple is delicious. We can definitely feel fall - especially in the mornings/afternoons :(
ReplyDeleteYesterday morning, quite early in the day, I popped up the street to the mailbox to post some Etsy orders and for the first time, I felt like the subtlest nuances of autumn were in the air. It wasn't sizzling hot any more and I was glad I had long sleeves on. The season (summer) isn't done yet by any means, I would imagine, but you can tell its days are limited for sure.
DeleteAgreed! Pineapple is delicious and it has a lot of really good health benefits, too (not the least of which is vitamin C). We just about always have some tinned and/or fresh on hand - especially since do make a lot of vintage recipes. :)
Wishing you a splendid Sunday, dear gal!
♥ Jessica
so I saw a recipe for watermelon cake and wanted to share! No actual watermelon used. :P
ReplyDeleteThis is from the Menasha Cook Book, c. 1899, compiled "under the auspices of the ladies of the First M.E. Church of Menasha, Wisconsin".
Watermelon Cake:
(white part) two cups pulverized sugar, 2/3 cup butter, 2/3 cup milk, 3 cups flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, whites of 5 eggs.
(red part) 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup red sugar sand, 1/3 cup milk, 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, yolks of 5 eggs, 1/2 pound whole raisons.
Submitted by Milly Giddons, no further instructions, I can picture it being a cute cake, but I dont know how it was assembled!
Anyway, I thought you might get a kick out of it.
-tegan
Smiles and giggles are abounding over here, dear Tegan. It's so thoughtful of you that recipe with me. It instantly brought back memories of my watermelon recipe post earlier this summer. Thank you so much for taking the time to write that all out and post it here. I enjoyed not only reading it, but learning that red sanding sugar was around that far back in time. Who knew!
DeleteThat was one of the pitfalls of old recipes for sure. The were rarely standardized and instructions could be vague at best a lot of times. I'd imagine that you would coat the cake with the red sugar and dot it with some of he raisins to give it the look of a seeded watermelon. Just a guess though! :)
Many thanks again - you're such a lovely person!
Have a beautiful weekend,
♥ Jessica
Now this sounds like a delightful combination!
ReplyDeleteYum, yum & yum! I've a little baker in my house by the name of Belle and I'm looking forward to this decadent delight! The end of August doesn't mean the end of summer here. It's always a nice 70" by the beach. I'll let you know how this scrumptious dessert turns out. Thank you my dear friend for sharing this vintage recipie. Xx
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, dear Christy. It's awesome that Belle is a fan of baking. I was the resident baker (and sometimes cook) often when I lived with my folks. My is great at both, but is the first to admit she doesn't epicly love cooking, especially since she hasn't had kids at home for years. Not me! Even with the million and one limitations from my medical diet and all that jazz, I still, and forever, will adore it - so hence my passion for sharing these sorts of fun old school recipes here.
DeleteBig hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
♥ Jessica
love pineapple! especially fresh!
ReplyDeletebut marshmallows? uh. i never will understand the appeal of that....
wish you a fabulous end of august - do you count the days until tony is back?
hugs&kisses! <3 <3 <3
Isn't it interestingly how some people can't stand a largely beloved food - in this case your dislike of marshmallows. They're a major favourite of mine - especially toasted over an open fire - but I could see how they might not appeal to everyone, especially if you don't like overly sweet and/or gummy things. Perhaps some other type of soft fruit, such as peaches, could be used in place of them here.
DeleteI am indeed counting down the days until Tony gets back - just five more to go now. Yippee!!
Big hugs & tons of happy end of August wishes,
♥ Jessica
I simply have to try this very easy and simple recipe. I imagine the extreme sweetness of the marsh mallows and the freshness of the pineapples go very well together. I'm just back home from my little summer cottage, and doing my nails in summery colours for the very last time before starting doing autumn nails which you know I adore. My boss got fired last Friday, strange day. We were all very surprised. I won't say I was very fond of her (didn't trust her, but she was OK). Now we will soon get a new boss and I hate it, then you have to be your absolutely very best every day and dance on your tiptoes all time, sigh. Wishing you a lovely day, dear. :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds so lovely!!! I too have been noticing that my daily colour palette is inching away from the light and bright tones of summer and into the rich, romantic dark and earthy colours of autumn. I haven't put my summer fashions into hibernation quite yet, as it is still fairly summery here at the moment, but soon such will be the case.
DeleteOh dear, I'm sorry to hear about your bossing being let go like that. Even if she wasn't your favourite person of all time, that must have come as a shock and will no doubt introduce some changes into your work environment. Hopefully you'll like her replacement a great deal more. Thank you for sharing about that situation with me.
This week was a bit of a mixed bag for me, too, and I'm happy that it's wrapping up today. Onward with a new week, a new month and soon enough, a beautiful new season!
Tons of hugs & understanding,
♥ Jessica
I'm sad to see summer fazing out. This post reminds me of a week ago when I simply had to dig out a can of pineapple to make an upside down pineapple cake before summer was over!
ReplyDeleteLaurie
It's always such a bittersweet moment for me. I love fall with all my heart and soul, but I will miss the perks of summer so much. Thankfully, if there's one certainty in this world, it's that we'll be united with each season again next year and that makes parting ways with summer easier for sure.
DeleteYum!!! Pineapple upside down cake is one of my favourite desserts ever. I whip up a GF version on a regular basis (ditto for cupcakes - which look so cute with one full ring of pineapple on the top of each).
Many thanks for your lovely comment. I hope that you have a great tail end of summer,
♥ Jessica
This looks delicious! Love pineapple!
ReplyDeletehttp://inkandlacedesigns.blogspot.com.au/
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteBy all means: go, shop, enjoy! :)
This weekend was a back-to-basics for me. After years of having the "network" all around me, I have spent last few days without it (actually, they haven't arrived today, so it's not yet installed). I have used this "off the grid" opportunity to reminiscence on the times gone by - truth is: we are NOT internet-generation and that is something we've forgotten, we're now so immensely connected, that we can not imagine life without it.. TV is a different story (I was brought home from nursery into a room with a TV on.. and it never went off ) :)
Being offline gave me all the time for: crafting, laundry, cooking, baking.. I even made some relish! This little treat would we great to try out - I just have to make some changes (pineapple is expensive, and marshmallows are not available)
Great hug
Marija
Oh my word, I couldn't possibly agree more with you. I did not even have a computer in my house when I was growing up and my first cell phone, a simple pay-as-you-go, came late in my teen years. I love the web and am incredibly grateful for the many ways it has, and continues to, enrich my life, but I have never felt like I was part of the "texting generation", to which my younger sister and most folks under 25 belong.
DeleteI think that it is not only important, but necessary to to distance ourselves sometimes from the web, be it for an evening, a day, a week, a month or longer. Spending time connecting with other parts of life and the world around us is as important, if not far more so, than anything that happens on the internet.
I'm sure that however you alter this dessert, it will still be great! You're a wonderful cook/baker/caner and will transform this dish into something equally wonderful to its mid-century version.
Big hugs & happy end of August wishes,
♥ Jessica
ReplyDeleteI love pineapple, it is an ingredient of my summer! This cake looks delicious, I know who it is ... and I was very hungry !!!
Kisses and sugar
serena
Thank you very much, lovely lady! I adored how you signed off on your comment - lots of hugs, kisses and sugar coming right back at you.
Delete♥ Jessica
I would have never thought of putting these together, pineapple and marshmallows…. hmmm I always wonder, have you made this recipe ?
ReplyDeleteHi lovely Lorena, I have indeed (using GF graham crackers). I left out the nuts, upped the marshmallow count a bit, and served it hot with ice cream and some toasted coconut flakes. Absolutely delicious! :)
DeleteWishing you a splendid week,
♥ Jessica