Pineapple Upside Down Cake

You will need:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Glaze:

1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored 

or canned pineapple

3/4 stick butter

3/4 c packed brown sugar

Cake:

1 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 stick butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1tsp rum extract

1/2 c pineapple juice or water

Topping: 

Cut pineapple into pieces that fit into your pan. 

I made individual cake so I cut mine smaller.  

Melt butter in pot. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, four minutes. Remove from heat. 

Spoon into cake pan. Place pineapple rings or pieces ontop of brown sugar glaze.

Cake: 

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. 

Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture. 

Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake about 45 minutes, until knife comes out clean. 

Let cake stand in pan for five minutes. Invert a plate over cake pan and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and pan firmly pressed together). 

Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet. 

Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.

Homemade Perogies

You will need:

Dough:

3 c all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading

1 c water

1 large egg

1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 1/2 pound potatoes (cubed and mashed)

1c Cheddar cheese (shredded)

1/2 c sauerkraut (canned)

1/4 c milk

2 tbs butter

Add water, egg, oil, and salt to well and carefully beat together with a fork. 

Continue stirring, gradually adding flour, until a soft dough forms. 

All the flour didn't incorporate in the bowl but I placed it on the table and kneaded if for a few minutes and it mixed nicely.

Place dough on a floured surface and knead, dusting with flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes.

Let dough rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile:

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces. 

Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender. 

Drain potatoes. 

Then transfer to a bowl along with milk, butter, cheese, sauerkraut and mash with a potato masher or a handheld electric mixer at low speed until smooth.

Set aside to cool.

Roll out the dough very thin and using a round cookie cutter cut the dough into circles.

When mashed potatoes are cool, spoon out a rounded teaspoon into circles.

Fold over circles and pinch together.

Drop into boiling water. The perogies will sink to the bottom then float to the top when cooked. 

You can eat them boiled or fry them in a pan with a little butter. 

Two minutes on each side or until golden brown.