Military care packages | Evie's Gardens

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Cake In A Jar? Oh, Yeah!

For those of you who follow me, are kin to me, love me… (tee-hee), you know our Ladies Auxiliary is gearing up to send Christmas packages to our troops whom we have adopted.

You also know I have been making cakes, breads, and brownies in jars to send to our military for those care packages.

So yesterday I was thinking (yeah, I know, scary, huh?); wondering what I could do next, thinking back over all the yummy goodness I have baked and eaten in my lifetime.

I thought about the first time as a newly married (very young) wife when I invited my parents over to eat, making one of Dad’s favorite desserts, Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Hey, I can still remember – it hasn’t been that many years ago.

That got me to thinking, again… okay, stop laughing y’all.

How could I adapt that scrumptious dessert to a jar? Well, as you know, I had to try.

Just remember, for those of you who are diabetic… don’t let your friends tempt you to eat the whole thing. (Christy Badgwell! 😉

That red and white checkered book where I found the recipe was my first cookbook… a wedding gift from my Aunt Nadine, purchased with S and H green stamps.

The recipe has been a favorite in our home since then.

I renamed this, but recipe is adapted from the BHG (somewhere around 1970.)

Pineapple Upside Down – Right Side Up Yummies!

1 – 20 ounce can of chunk pineapple (I am sure crushed would work as well, I had chunk.)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup Crisco or shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

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Thoroughly grease (I use a pastry brush) bottoms and sides of 5 wide mouth pint size canning jars. Don’t grease the top inch!

Drain pineapple, reserve juice. Add water to remaining juice to make one cup liquid.

Melt butter in the microwave. Add brown sugar and two tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice.

Drop pineapple chunks making a layer in bottom of jar. Divide the melted butter – brown sugar mixture between your five jars. Save enough to swirl some on top! (Maraschino cherries, optional.)

Meanwhile… cream together shortening and sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.

In another large bowl, mix dry ingredients, stirring with a whisk, (or sift ) until mixed. Add alternately with reserved pineapple juice.

Fill jars approximately half full with batter.

Divide remaining pineapples, drop on top.

Swirl remaining brown sugar and butter sauce on top of batter in each jar.

Sprinkle flaked coconut on top.

Wipe the top part of the jar down with a damp paper towel to make sure nothing hampers the sealing process.

Bake at 350 for approximately 40 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, check with toothpick. When toothpick comes out clean, cake is done.

At this point you probably should send the men out of the kitchen or there won’t be anything left.

Put seals and rings on, tighten. When you hear the ping… it’s sealed.

Oh, yeah, leave one be… forget the seal and ring. You have to sample it! And then you can crash from the sugar rush!

Put in your pantry, or send a jar to one of our military people… they will love it!