CNYEats A Taste of Utica Pineapple (and cherry) Squares

This week we should have baked up a local favorite cookie called Almond Paste Cookies posted by Angela and found on page 197 of our book A Taste of Utica, but I posted a similar recipe before

So this week I made Pineapple Squares instead. From Marie Carbone and posted by Rainie Piccione. Page 198 of A Taste of Utica.

This recipe was really confusing. There was vanilla to add in the directions but no vanilla listed in the ingredients. Eggs were listed twice in the ingredients but only 2 were used in the directions. It was very confusing and when I’m confused by a recipe, I throw my arms in the air and say “Oh What the HEY!” I fly by the seat of my pants and see what happens.

This is what happened.

4 cups flour
1 cup Butter (Crisco is used in the book)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream or 1/2 cup condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cans pineapple pie filling *I used 1 can pineapple, drained with juice reserved for another use and 1 can of Lite cherry pie filling

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with non stick baking spray.

Mix flour, butter, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix baking soda, 2 eggs, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to egg mixture. Refrigerate. Roll out onto a cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Spread with pineapple filling and return to oven for another 15 minutes. *Note: My squares took a lot longer to cook. Make sure they are set in the middle. I baked the bottom for 25 minutes, added the topping then took another 45 – 55 minutes to bake through.