Over the next few weeks, we'll be covering the biggest foodie holiday of them all: Thanksgiving. Whether you are looking for turkey ideas or the perfect sides, we've got you covered. But let's begin with dessert! Pie is a very traditional Thanksgiving option, but I really prefer bars. They tend to feed a larger crowd, can be finger food, and tend to be much less fussy than pie. When it comes to finding sweets for a day that involves roasting a giant bird and making a salad that won't wilt, keeping things simple is where it's at!
The bars I'm sharing here are loaded with pineapple. Now, you might be thinking pineapple is a summer ingredient and it certainly can be, but hear me out when I say that roasting a whole pineapple that's been sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar, and maybe just a touch of dark rum at 430° F for 30-40 minutes (just until it begins to caramelize) might have you reaching for pineapple in the cooler months from now on! And when that pineapple gets tossed into a food processor and made into crushed roasted pineapple, you have an amazing ingredient for a very clever pan of bars.
If you want to give these bars the crowning touch, whip up some heavy cream with a bit of cinnamon and sugar (and maybe a bit more of that dark rum?) and give each bar a generous dollop. It's the perfect ending to a meal that will have you and yours reminiscing about it until Thanksgiving comes along in another year!
Roasted Pineapple Bars
- 1 ½ c. flour
- ½ c. granulated sugar
- ¾ c. chilled butter, cubed
- 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained OR 2 c. crushed roasted pineapple (see article for instructions)
- 2 eggs
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- ½ c. sour cream
- ⅓ c. flour
- ½ tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non stick spray.
To make the crust and topping, add all of the ingredients (flour through butter) to a bowl and combine until crumbly.
Reserve 1 cup of the crust mixture for topping. Pour the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and gently press until evenly distributed.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes on the center rack of the oven. Make the filling while the crust bakes.
For the pineapple filling, combine all of the filling ingredients (pineapple through salt) in a medium bowl until the flour is incorporated fully.
Pour the filling on top of the warm crust and top with the reserved crumb mixture.
Bake at 350° F for 50 minutes or until the center is firm to the touch and the edges are slightly brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Yields: 20 servings
- Preparation Time: 75 minutes