Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Something sweet!


We wanted a new recipe to model with our placemats so we selected a pineapple upside down cake as our alternative to freshly baked cookies as a prop. The cake's topping features a sweet and gooey mixture of brown sugar, butter, and pineapple in lieu of frosting. The cake itself has a similar flavor to a sponge cake, making it the perfect complement to the pineapple's slightly chewy texture.



Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For cake:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour 
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pineapple juice

For topping:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 can of pineapple, chunks or slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Drain the can of pineapple and reserve juice for cake batter.

In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter, granulated sugar, and eggs. Mix remaining dry ingredients separately and add alternately with juice to creamed sugar mixture.

In a cast iron skillet* on the stovetop, melt 4 tablespoons butter and stir in brown sugar. Simmer together until sugar is dissolved. Arrange pineapple chunks or slices on top of brown sugar mixture. Then pour batter into skillet and bake for 45 minutes.

Let cool for 15 - 20 minutes, then invert skillet over platter. Let stand until cake falls out of skillet (may take 5 minutes or longer). Serve warm, if desired. Any leftovers will keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

*Or other 9 to 10 inch diameter oven-proof dish.


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

What size is it? {Placemats Edition}

 Now for the placemats - with our "standard" size of 15 inches by 20 inches, there is plenty of room for a full place-setting, including multiple pieces of silverware, glassware, and a charger (if desired). Since we rarely have room for single-tasking pieces in our house, we are often found using our placemats to hold pans of freshly baked cookies (plenty of room for an 11x17 pan here!), cast-iron skillets full of our latest cornbread or scones recipe, or a French press and all the usual coffee-drinking paraphernalia.
Lavender and Navy Blue Placemats by Handiworkin' Girls
Yet another cookie recipe!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

What size is it? {Snack Mat Edition}

Mini Snack Mat by Handiworkin' Girls
A shot of espresso?
It can be hard to determine the size of an item simply by its photos, so we are going to showcase some of our better "scale reference" shots of each of our products. First off, the snack mats! With an average size of 5 inches by 7 inches, they are a little wider than the average coffee mug but narrower than a dessert plate. We have found that they are easier to use than a coaster (and much less likely to be misplaced). The bonus? They are machine-washable, too, so no need to worry about a little coffee spill!


Ocean Blue Snack Mats by Handiworkin' Girls
Need a gingersnap?

Autumn Foliage Snack Mats by Handiworkin' Girls
Or a snack for two?