Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for the ‘Fruit Desserts’ Category

Have you been hit by Spring Fever yet?  Here’s a delicious trifle desert that is bursting with sweet, juicy fruit flavor along with a creamy texture.

Ingredients:

* 4 cups fresh ripe peaches (about 5 large or 7 medium peaches)
* 3 Tbsp sugar
* 1 – 16 oz loaf of frozen pound cake, thawed and cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1 – 12 oz container Cool Whip, thawed
* 2 (3.9 oz) packages of instant vanilla pudding
* 3 cups of milk
* 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Peel the peaches and slice into segments. Put in glass bowl and sprinkle them with sugar. Toss and let stand for 20 minutes or until juicy.

2. Prepare pudding by putting the mixes in a bowl and adding the 3 cups of milk. Beat on low speed for about 2 minutes or until it starts to thicken slightly.

3. Place 1/2 of the cubed pound cake in the bottom of the trifle bowl. Then 1/2 of the vanilla pudding spreading to make a nice layer. Then put in 1/2 of the peach slices (we don’t use all the juice). Then 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Be sure to use a spatula to even out each layer. Repeat the process again adding the rest of the cake, then pudding, thenpeaches , then cool whip.

4. Cover the trifle and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Sprinkle the top with the slivered almonds just prior to serving.

Here’s a great dessert that is both pretty to look at and delicious to eat!   Layering just a few ingredients in a trifle bowl makes for an impressive presentation.  Perfect for a Valentine brunch or romantic dinner for 2!

You do need to plan for this dessert ahead of time, as it needs to chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Well trifles were my dessert of choice when going to potlucks the past few months so this summer when the Colorado peaches were at their best, I made this delectable Peaches n’ Cream trifle to bring to a work party.  Everyone loved it …. especially my husband who LOVES peaches about as much as I love chocolate and Oreo cookies.  Now that is saying something!

We received a footed trifle bowl for a wedding gift, but I must admit that until this summer, I hadn’t really used it much.  I don’t know why because it seems that every trifle I made was well-received and it looks impressive when you walk in the door with it.

You can see the final product in the photo above.  I left off the slivered almonds which normally would be sprinkled on top the dessert because a child at the party was allergic to nuts and I didn’t want to take any chances.  That said, the extra crunch would have really added to the final product so you should use them if possible.

Peaches n’ Cream Trifle Recipe

4 cups fresh ripe peaches (about 5 large or 7 medium peaches)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 – 16 oz loaf of frozen pound cake, thawed and cut into 1 inch cubes**
1 – 12 oz container Cool Whip, thawed
2 (3.9 oz) packages of instant vanilla pudding
3 cups of milk
1/4 cup slivered almonds

**We use the Sara Lee rectangular pound cake cut up like this:

Peel the peaches and slice into segments or 1″ pieces – keep cutting until you have the 4 cups. Then place them in a glass bowl and toss them with the sugar. Let stand for 20 minutes or until they begin to juice. Meanwhile, use a hand-mixer on low speed for 2 minutes to mix the pudding in a glass bowl with the 3 cups of milk. 

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 tbs. water
• 8 firm bananas
• 1 ½ cups coconut cream
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Cook the sugar and water over low heat until syrupy. Peel the bananas and arrange in a deep skillet. Pour the syrup over them; bring to a boil. Add the coconut cream mixed with the salt; cook over medium heat until cream is absorbed, turning the bananas frequently.

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tangerines or oranges
• 2 peaches
• 1 cup strawberries or raspberries
• 1/4 cup blanched chopped almonds

Cook the orange juice, water, sugar, and cinnamon until a syrup is formed. Cool. Segment the tangerines or oranges; slice the peaches and berries. Combine in a bowl and pour syrup all over them. Chill 1 hour; sprinkle with the nuts and serve in sherbet cups.

• 1 cup minute tapioca

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. green food coloring
• 2 cups fresh coconut, grated or 2 cups flaked coconut

Wash and drain the tapioca. Bring the water and sugar to a boil; stir in the tapioca and cook until transparent. Add the food coloring. Pour into a greased 8×8 inch pan. Chill. Cut in squares and coat all sides with coconut.

• 1 2/4 cup flour

• 1 cup quick cooking oatmeal

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 cup cold margarine

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 20 caramels

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 can apple pie filling

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, soda and salt. Using a pastry cutter or the back of a large spoon, mix in the margarine until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crumb mixture for later use and then press the rest with fingers in the bottom of a greased 9×13” pan. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk by placing the unwrapped caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl and microwaving on high in 30-second intervals. Check and stir the caramel mixture after every 30 seconds and if it isn’t melted, go another 30 second interval.  Mixture should be smooth.  Spoon apple filling over prepared and cooled crust. Top with melted caramel mixture.  Mix 1 cup of walnuts in with the reserved crumb mixture and then sprinkle evenly over the top.  Bake bars 20 minutes or until set.  Cool and cut into squares.

• 2 envelopes of plain gelatin

• 1/2 cup orange or cranberry juice

• 1/2 cup boiling water

• 1 can or jar cranberry sauce

• 1 cup applesauce

• 1 apple, cored and cut up

• 1 cup diced celery

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1 orange, peeled and diced

• 2 tbs. grated lemon rind

Soften gelatin in juice. Add boiling water; cool. Mix all the other ingredients; add to gelatin mixture. Pour into a greased mold (at least 2 quarts) and refrigerate several hours.

• 1 1/2 cups cranberries, finely chopped

• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped apple

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine cranberries, miniature marshmallows and sugar; mix lightly. Cover and chill. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly.

• 2 1/4 cups water

• 1 3-oz. package strawberry flavoured gelatin

• 1 10 1/2 oz. can frozen cranberry orange relish, thawed

• 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple

• 1 3-oz. package lemon flavoured gelatin

• 2 cups of miniature marshmallows

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Gradually add to strawberry gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Add cranberry-orange relish; mix well. Pour into lightly oiled 6 1/2 cup ring mold; cover. Chill until almost set. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid. Bring remaining water to boil. Gradually add to lemon gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Add marshmallows; stir until melted. Add reserved pineapple liquid; cover. Chill until partially set. Add mayonnaise and pineapple to marshmallow mixture. Fold in whipped cream; pour over strawberry layer. Cover; chill until firm. Unmold. Garnish as desired.