Desserts, snack, appetizer

Pineapple Bars – Old-Fashioned Sweet Treats

by Irene

Click here to go to printable recipe: Pineapple Bars

In my previous post, I shared my recipe for chunky pineapple jam, and showed pictures of several pineapple-flavoured Mexican baked goods that are sold commercially.  One kind are Barritas Marinela™, “little bars” filled with a sweet spread; they were a nice treat after school, as I remember, made with a crispy crust, like a pie pastry, and filled with pineapple jam.  Last time I was in Mexico, I spotted the original pineapple, and also strawberry flavour, as shown below:

000 20190328 barritas marinela

And I have found the pineapple ones in the US in the past:

000 20180928 barritas de pina

As it may be appreciated, the filling is not jam with real fruit anymore, but, as even stated on the wrapper, an artificially flavoured spread.

Sometimes living in Canada means having limited access to such Mexican products, but during the current state of emergency, making them at home might be the only way to satiate a craving. Once the homemade jam is ready, these pineapple bars are quick to make, and provide a real-fruit taste, to refresh the memory of the barritas I used to know from my childhood.

Pineapple bars – Barras de piña

Printable recipe: Pineapple Bars

Ingredients (for 28 bars, two-inch long each)

2 cups chunky pineapple jam (click here for my recipe)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar

Prepare a baking tray with rim by lining with parchment paper; set aside.  Mix flour and baking powder in a large bowl; cut butter in the flour mix with a wooden spatula, then rub with fingers until a sandy texture is reached.  Make an opening in the centre, mix eggs and sugar there, and then incorporate everything into a soft dough.  Form a flattened ball and slice into quarters:

001 divide dough

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).  Working with one quarter of the dough at a time, form into an elongated shape, then use a rolling pin to extend into a rectangle, approximately 15 inches long by 3 inches across:

002 roll into long strip

Place extended dough on prepared baking sheet; spread about half a cup of pineapple jam along the centre of the strip, leaving a half-inch border on either long side (seen on the left, below); fold one uncovered edge over the jam (photo below, centre) and then fold the other edge, leaving a gap along the centre (photo below, right):

003a filling and folding

Pinch each end of the long bar, so the jam will not leak once heated in the oven:

005 pinch ends

Repeat with the rest of the dough and jam, to form four long bars:

006 bars ready for the oven

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and crispy.  Remove from oven and allow to cool down to room temperature:

007 after baking

The bar at the bottom had too much room to expand so, if the tray is too wide like in this case, it would be a good idea to fill the gap with some crumpled Al foil, or even better, roll some and place in between bars, for an even distribution.

Transfer bars to a cutting board carefully, to avoid cracking. Trim one end, then slice into individual portions. The commercial treats are about three inches long, but I cut them into 2-inch lengths to have shorter trimmings at the ends:

008 trim ends, slice into short bars or newtons

It is not hard to surrender to these crispy treats for a sweet break, especially if served with a glass of milk (after homeschooling, these days), or to complement a mid-afternoon coffee or tea:

010 pineapple bars

Packed into cellophane baggies, as seen in the photograph at the top of this post, and the one below, these pineapple bars may be a nice gift to leave at a friend’s door during this time of social distancing, and I am sure they will be a hit at school or church bake sales, once the pandemic is behind us:

009 pineapple bars

Today is Victoria Day, a truly Canadian holiday that marks the first long weekend of the warm season, although this year in particular has been cool and rainy; adding the current state of emergency, instead of camping or going to the gardening centre, baking a batch of pineapple bars is a warmer, and much safer, option.

I am bringing my bars to Full Plate Thursday #485 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.  Special thanks to Miz Helen for featuring my Chunky Pineapple Jam at her party.

I am sharing my recipe to Thursday Favourite Things #434 with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, Theresa @ Shoestring Elegance and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.

I am joining Fiesta Friday #329 with Angie @ Fiesta Friday, this week co-hosting with Diann @ Of Goats and Greens and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons.  And special thanks to Angie and Laurena @ Life, Diet, Health for featuring my Chunky Pineapple Jam at this party.

I am also joining What’s for Dinner? Sunday Link-Up # 254 with Helen @ The Lazy Gastronome

I am sharing my recipe at Over the Moon #226, graciously hosted by Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, and Marilyn @ Marilyn’s Treats.  

I am also joining Classy Flamingos Blog Party #104 with Linda @ poinsettiadr.com

36 thoughts on “Pineapple Bars – Old-Fashioned Sweet Treats”

  1. These look fabulous! And what a great idea to make them and leave them as gifts–especially for those homeschooling parents who are at wits’ end right now! Blessings!

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      1. Haha, wrong. Pastries, I get. All the time! They have become quite popular from five to six years in our city. Before that, only a few experts used to sell.

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  7. I know the spelling of deserts. And, even that of desserts. WordPress keeps no option to edit comments for the ones like this one.

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    1. 28″? They are about 15″ long . Oh, I see, the yield says “28 two-inch bars” ; is that too confusing? Should I change it to ” 28 bars, two inches long each”?

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      1. I might just have it in the cookbook that she made for me of favourites. I’ll take a look. Now, I’m craving all kinds of pineapple things.😊

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  10. Pingback: Pineapple Bars – Jibber Jabber with Sue

  13. A great tutorial for these beautiful pineapple bars, just awesome! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, 485!
    Miz Helen

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  16. Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn

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