Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup brown sugar
1 (20-ounce) can sliced pineapple
6 maraschino cherries
a few whole pecans
1 cup flour, sifted*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Add butter to a 9-inch-round baking pan, and place inside of a warm oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Add 6 pineapple slices and place a cherry inside of each one. Fill in the nooks and crannies with whole pecans.

In a medium bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and stir.

Using a hand mixer, in a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until fluffy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add pineapple juice, and vanilla extract, and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until well combined. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth with the spatula.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Note: Sifting the flour creates a lighter cake.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch square baking pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, cream margarine and sugar; beat in eggs. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour blended mixture into prepared pans.

To make topping: In a small bowl, mix together sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or fork. Spoon half over batter and swirl. Speen remaining topping over batter and sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes 2 Cakes

Troop 84 hints: We let the cake cook until firms up and add all the topping at that point so the cake and topping are more distinct. Works well in a dutch oven. And we glady share with our friends!

Flakey Pie Crust and Apple Pie

Flakey Pie Crust

Makes 2 9" crusts

2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ cup oil
¼ cup milk

Sift in bowl the flour and salt. Pour over the top all at once without mixing the oil and milk. Stir these ingredients lightly until blended. Form them into a ball. Divide the ball into 2 parts, flatten slightly. Roll dough between sheets of waxed paper to desired thinness. Patch tears, if any, by sticking pieces of dough together. Proceed as with any pie crust. If baking just crust, 400 degrees for 40 mins.

Fresh Apple Pie

2 each pastry crusts
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 dash salt
6 cups apples, thinly sliced, pared tart (6 medium)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in apples. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate; dot with margarine. Cover with top crust that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 3-inch strip of aluminum foil; remove foil during last 15 mins. of baking. Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, 40-50 mins.
6 Servings