Favorite Fruit Salad & Dessert

[countrylady]

The ladies from my graduation class are having a "ladies only" luncheon next week. I've said I'd bring a fruit salad and dessert. Hit me with your favorite T&T recipes.  TIA

[willowgirl]

Here is an easy-peasy fruit salad recipe. I don't even have to look it up in my recipe book; I know it by heart.

Whip a small box of vanilla pudding mix with 2 cups of milk.
Fold in 15-oz. cans of crushed pineapple and fruit cocktail, drained; a 1/2 cup chopped walnuts; and a small tub of Cool-Whip, thawed. Chill for a few hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with maraschino cherries if desired.

You can vary this recipe however you like ... sometimes I add coconut, or slice a fresh banana on top right before serving.

[terrilynn]

Heres our easy stand-by fruit salad, that my aunt even uses for some of her catering events. It always gets lots of compliments!

1 can tropical fruit sald-drained
1 can pineapple tidbits-drained
1 can mandarin oranges-drained
strawberries-sliced
grapes-red or green- halved

Mix together, chill thoroughly, and serve.

[tenbusybees]

Snickers Apple Salad

1 tub Cool Whip
1 c. sour cream
6 apples, chopped
4 Snickers, chopped

Mix, refrigerate, and serve.

[countrylady]

Thank you! These sound delicious. Any more?

[Deleted]

Orange or lemon jello with shredded carrots and crushed pineapple.

Raspberry jello, diced apples and walnuts or pecans.

Orange jello with orange slices....James

[calliemoonbeam]

I have several fruit salad recipes that are always hits.  I wasn't sure if you meant separate dessert recipes or fruit salad as the dessert.  Lemon (or lime) bars are always good for a luncheon, light and tart, and pecan pie bars are delicate but rich.  If you want those recipes let me know.  They used to ask for them at my monthly needlework group.  If you really want decadent, I have a killer recipe for Mississippi mud bars.  

This one was always a crowd pleaser, though I haven't made it in ages, so not sure how the can sizes will stack up.

24-Hour Salad

1 (17 oz.) can pitted sweet cherries, drained
2 (13 oz.) cans pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons syrup)
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup mini marshmallows

Old-Fashioned Fruit Dressing (see below)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice (from above)
dash of salt
2 cups Cool Whip, thawed (*I always used real cream whipped with 1 heaping tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla for each cup and skipped the other sugar)

Prepare dressing first.  *If you use fresh whipped cream, do this first and put in refrigerator to chill.  Combine all ingredients except Cool Whip (or whipped cream) in a small saucepan.  Heat just to boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and cool completely.  Into the chilled Cool Whip bowl, gently fold in the cooked egg mixture until well blended.  Combine fruits and marshmallows, pour dressing over and mix well.  Cover and chill 24 hours before serving.

This is sort of a take on old-fashioned Waldorf salad, but with coconut instead of the celery.  It makes a good salad anytime, but is easy in the winter when most fruit is out of season.

Apple Salad

6 small firm apples, peeled if desired, cored and chopped (I use Honeycrisp or Gala)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chopped nut meats (originally called for walnuts, but I prefer pecans)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sweet cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Chop apples and toss with lemon juice.  In a large bowl, combine apples, nuts, coconut, and raisins.  In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, cream and sugar until well blended.  Pour dressing over fruit and toss until well coated.  Cover and chill for 6-8 hours.

This one is also great for summer get togethers, pool parties, etc.

Melon Bowl

1 small watermelon, scooped into balls (see below on cutting)
1 small honeydew melon, scooped into balls
1 small cantaloupe, scooped into balls
1 pint strawberries, stemmed and halved or quartered if very large
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 cup red seedless grapes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup lime juice
2/3 cup honey

*Option:  Leave out the brown sugar and cinnamon and instead use 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and 1 tablespoon dried chopped mint or 2 tablespoons fresh.  You can just dice the melons if you want, it's just not as pretty.

Cut a shallow slice lengthwise off watermelon so it will sit without rolling.  Slice the top off lengthwise and then cut in a scallop pattern or design of your choice, then scoop out the watermelon balls, discarding seeds as you go.  Place the watermelon shell in the refrigerator to chill until needed.  Prepare all fruits as described and mix in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon with lime juice until well dissolved, then whisk in honey until dressing is well blended.  Pour over fruit in the bowl and gently toss to cover all fruit.  Chill at least 6 hours, tossing every once in a while to redistribute dressing.  When ready to serve, pour fruit salad into watermelon shell and serve.  May be garnished if desired to make it fit your celebration.

[countrylady]

These all sound so good. Yes, Calliemoonbeam, I would like the Mississippi Mud Bar recipe. Is this anything like the MS mud cake?

[patty]

I had a friend over for lunch this past week and tried to keep it as simple as possible. I made a fruit cup using drained pineapple tidbits, drained mandarin oranges, drained diced peaches. sliced banana and tossed it all with a container of strawberry yogurt. It looked so pretty in some stemmed dessert dishes and was quite good.

[Deleted]

Jun 13, 2015 17:24:50 GMT patty said:

I had a friend over for lunch this past week and tried to keep it as simple as possible. I made a fruit cup using drained pineapple tidbits, drained mandarin oranges, drained diced peaches. sliced banana and tossed it all with a container of strawberry yogurt. It looked so pretty in some stemmed dessert dishes and was quite good.

We eat a lot of fruit salads in the summer, what ever fruit is in season. We make lemon custard yogurt, so good with fruit salad, tangy. Also fruit salad is great with a couple tsp of fresh jam mixed with the fruit then add a little plain yogurt. We eat so many non-cook meals so we don't have to build a fire when it is hot. We have so much fruit. Simple fruit crisp, fruit with an oatmeal, butter, brown sugar, bit of flour and cinnamon topping, add a dollop of yogurt. Peach is to die for....James.

[calliemoonbeam]

They may be the same thing, but these are more fudgy like a brownie than like cake, and they have lots of nuts.  There are so many different recipes and some are very similar.  This one was a huge hit with the Vietnam vet group I used to visit when I lived in Denver.  They would have had it every week if I would have made it that often for them, lol.    It looks like a lot, but it goes together really quickly.

Mississippi Mud Bars

Toasted Pecans
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 c. chopped pecans
1 t. sea salt

Bars
1 c. (2 sticks) butter
2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
4 lg. eggs
1/2 c. cocoa
1-1/2 c. flour
6 c. (10 oz.) mini marshmallows

Frosting
1/4 c. cocoa
3-3/4 c. (1 lb.) powdered sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
5 oz. can evaporated milk
2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Toss melted butter with pecans in a baking dish.  Toast for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and smelling good.  Remove from oven, toss with salt and set aside.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 x 13" baking dish and set it aside.  

For the bars, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Combine cocoa and flour and gradually add to creamed mixture until well blended.  Fold in half of the toasted pecans and pour into the 9 x 13" dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and immediately spread marshmallows over the top.  Once they start to melt, spread to cover the bars, but allow some bumps to remain.

For the frosting, stir together cocoa and powdered sugar and set aside.  Place butter and milk in a pan and heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until hot and just bubbling around the edges, but not a rolling boil.  Remove from stove and stir in vanilla.  Add in cocoa/sugar mixture and quickly beat with a wooden spoon until well blended and smooth.  If it starts thickening too quickly, return it to low heat only as long as necessary and beat to blend smoothly.  Immediately pour over bars, making sure all is covered.  Sprinkle the rest of the toasted pecans over the top.  Lightly drag the wooden spoon through the frosting to create swirls where the marshmallow shows through.  

Set the bars on a wire rack and let stand at least several hours to cool and for the frosting to set up before cutting into small squares, as it's very rich.  Serve at room temperature.  The frosting will crack as it sets up and with the bumpy marshmallows will create the look of the Mississippi river bed, where it gets it name from.

*I actually think it's best if it's made the day before serving

[Deleted]

How about combine the fruit salad and dessert and make fruit pizza.
Bake sugar cookie dough in pizza pans or cookie sheets, cover with cream cheese frosting made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, orange zest and OJ. Top with different fruits, you can just toss on or arrange in a pattern. I use strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple, bananas, cherries, kiwi, just about any fruit you can think of.

Them drizzle with powdered sugar icing like you put on cinnamon rolls, you can even color it. When my grand kids are over we make them and use chocolate syrup or caramel syrup as the drizzle.

[Bear Foot Farm]

A mix of plain or vanilla yogurt and honey makes a good fruit dressing

[aftermidnite]

I was playing around with some fresh fruit I had and made this ..

 fourth pound of Green grapes cut in half (they were big)

 half of a baby  watermelon cut in cubes (smallish)

 about 6 strawberries cut in fourths (they were big too )

 2 fresh peaches chopped

1 banana sliced

some feta cheese (about 2 T ) 

some minced mint ( 3 or 4 leaves )

zest of one lime

The dressing was made from...

 

Olive oil and lime juice with a dash of rice wine vinegar and 1.5 T of sugar and shake well until sugar is dissolved

adjust the dressing to your taste and pour over your fruit and put in fridge for an hour ..

OH MY GOODNESS it was so good !!!

[Deleted]

Been revisiting my auntie's Watermelon Basket salad - I'm still dazzled after all these years...It's really easy to make melon balls from as many colors as you can find (seedless watermelons are a dream - poor Auntie, she really had to scrape to get enough red balls in there), a fresh cut pineapple in short wedges, grapes if you haven't enough melons, and slivered mint in lemon syrup on the side. If I have to get canned pineapple instead of fresh I don't cry; and it's glamorous even in a pyrex bowl.

A refrigerator cheesecake is an easy go-with, I just whiz up some cream cheese with whatever yogurt seems nice (Brown Cow Cream-at-the-top Maple is a good standby) and half an envelope of Knox gelatin melted in a few tablespoons of water. Lemon with zest is fancy enough, and a pie plate is as good as a spring form pan. Used to use sour cream, now I just leave it out.

[countrylady]

Thanks everyone for all your replies. 

[Homesteader]

Fabulous dessert, light and fresh:

One angel food cake
Tub of Cool Whip
One teaspoon vanilla
A couple cans of mandarin oranges, well drained.
Mint sprigs, optional

Place the cake on a cake plate, and use the Cool Whip as frosting.  Fold the vanilla into the Cool Whip first. Into the hole of the cake, place a few stems of mint. Then, "dot" the cake with the mandarin slices, put some around the bottom edge as a border, etc.

This is so delicious and can be made in about 5 minutes so you can make it on sight if you bring the ingredients.

[Homesteader]

.......I meant on site........

[grannyg]

I love to shred about ten leaves of chocolate mint very fine....with scissors....and put in any fruit salad....the flavor is wonderful...always being asked how I made mine....