[donkeykong]

Username: Katimers
Name: Katimers
Ingredient Choices: Cloves and Mango. Full ingredient list below.
Link to Entry: You are here.
Recipe: Tropical squares are somewhat like Lemon Bars except their fruit filling is more exotic. They would best be served on a hot summer day with a scoop of ice cream or maybe fresh from the oven on a cold winter day when you wish you were somewhere a little warmer. I chose cloves and mangos which are both represented in the recipe and extra cloves on the top if the amount in the squares wasn't enough although I find cloves to be a very strong spice. The filling includes mangos, pineapples, papaya, and some other citrus while the crust is very plain making the filling stand out even more. The bars I drew were cooked a little too long and the actual bars should come out less dark. The ice cream, extra cloves, and sprig of mint are optional and the cloves and mint are there for adding a more aesthetic side while the ice cream in my opinion pairs good with the bars. The entire ingredient list and recipe instructions can be found below. This recipe makes 9 squares.

For filling-
2 cups chopped cored peeled fresh pineapple
1 cup chopped peeled pitted mango
1 cup chopped peeled seeded papaya
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Pinch of ground cloves

For crust-
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

Extras (optional)-
Vanilla ice cream
Mint Sprig
Additional whole cloves

Preparation-

For filling:
Combine chopped pineapple, mango, papaya, brown sugar, orange juice, cinnamon stick, orange peel, lemon peel and ground cloves in heavy medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove cinnamon stick. Cool.

For crust:
Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large bowl just until blended. On low speed, gradually add flour, beating just until dough begins to come together. Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Gather dough into ball; divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten each piece into square. Wrap each in plastic; chill 15 minutes.

Cooking Instructions-

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out larger dough piece on lightly floured work surface to 10-inch square. Transfer dough to 9-inch square metal baking pan. Press dough onto bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Pour filling into crust. Roll out remaining dough piece on floured surface to 9-inch square. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Place 4 strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Place 5 more strips diagonally atop first 4 strips, forming lattice. Trim lattice edges.
Bake until crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into 9 squares. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)

For serving-
Place desired squares on a plate.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Sprinkle some cloves on top of the dessert and add a sprig of mint if desired. Enjoy!

[zoinks]

Yum! Is this a real recipe?

[donkeykong]

Yum! Is this a real recipe?

Yes it is.

[Walkin on thin Ice…]

I'm making this! Nice job

[not meaty smoothie]

You should keep doing this! I would love to see more of thsi type of thing around here :3

[donkeykong]

You should keep doing this! I would love to see more of thsi type of thing around here :3

It's for a contest, though thank you.

[Inkeyu]

Great! Thanks for going into such detail! It's going to make it so much easier to make it!!! XD I'm excited to try this!!!