May 12, 2010

Frozen Fruit & Nut Salad

"For-a-Crowd" Recipes, cherries, fruit, marshmallows, no-cook, nuts, peaches, pineapple, Salad

Presented by

32 ratings

Prep time: 22 minutes
chilling time 2 hours
Servings: 10
Partner: Rustic Eggplant Pasta

When Grandma made this salad, we drew straws to see who got to lick the bowl.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chopped drained peaches in syrup
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple in syrup
1/2 cup chopped drained maraschino cherries
1/4 cup chopped drained apricots in syrup
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 or 5 marshmallows
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Leaf lettuce, optional
20 maraschino cherries, optional for garnish

Directions

1

Combine pecans, peaches, pineapple, chopped maraschino cherries, apricots, confectioners' sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix gently.
2

Dip the blades of a pair of kitchen shears in water. Cut each marshmallow into quarters with shears. Add marshmallows to the fruit mixture and mix well.
3

Pour the cream into a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream and mayonnaise into the fruit mixture. Spoon into individual molds. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
4

Line 10 salad plates with leaf lettuce, if desired. Dip the molds into warm water for about 1 to 2 seconds. Invert the molds onto the lettuce-lined plates. Garnish each serving with 2 maraschino cherries, if desired. Serve immediately.

Grandma's Secret Trick

When she had a little extra time to prepare this salad, Grandma sometimes added a special touch by toasting the pecans to bring out their nutty flavor. She spread the pecans in a cast-iron skillet, then toasted them over a medium flame, shaking the pan often and stirring the pecans occasionally. She let them cool until they were crisp again before making the salad.