A classic with a twist

When you think food and the holidays, you think rich and heavy especially when it comes to desserts. But what about a dessert that’s equally rich and pleasing to the palate but a little lighter? The perfect accompaniment to a New Year’s celebration, or a fab cocktail party. That’s where our Mexican Ambrosia Salad enters the picture.

It’s not really a salad but instead a delightful concoction of fruits, nuts, coconut, cream and marshmallows, a very simple recipe from humble beginnings that has evolved over the past centuries in the U.S. to something more complex. But when it first came into being it was a very different concept. 

The term “ambrosia” derives from Greek and Roman mythology, where it was considered food for the gods, granting immortality to those lucky enough to consume it. In the U.S., the earliest documented ambrosia recipe is found in the 1867 cookbook, “Dixie Cookery.” It consisted of two ingredients: oranges sweetened with sugar, layered with coconut — and it was a luxury! 

Once again, Mexico influenced this recipe since coconut wasn’t introduced to American kitchens until trade routes were established during Spanish colonial rule. But by the 1930s, Ambrosia Salad was a traditional Southern holiday dish, especially for Easter and Christmas. 

The current American version utilizes canned fruits, sweetened coconut, mini-marshmallows, sour cream and Cool Whip. Heaven forbid to all but the mandarin oranges and marshmallows! And that’s the reason we’re going to make this Mexican, with wonderful fresh fruits of all kinds, and crema, nuts and unsweetened coconut! 

This is the perfect holiday dessert to serve alongside pumpkin or pecan pie or trifle. It is refreshing, rich and maybe, just a little lighter on the calories! 

Mexican Ambrosia Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 can (11 oz.) (311 g) mandarin oranges, drained well. (mandarinas)
• 15 oz. (425 g) mixed, fresh fruits: strawberries (fresas), mangos (mangos), papaya 
  • (papaya), cut into bite-size pieces. 
• 1 Cup (151 g) grapes, halved. (uvas)
• 1 Cup (165 g) fresh pineapple, cut into bite-size pieces. (piña)
• 1 – 2 sliced, fresh bananas. (plátanos)
• OPTIONAL: Add 1 apple (manzana) and 1 kiwi (kiwi) for added flavor, cut into bite-size 

Also:

• 2 Cups (250 g) mini-marshmallows. (mini-malaviscos)
• ½ Cup (85 g) unsweetened, shredded coconut. (coco rallado sin azúcar)
• OPTIONAL: Chopped pecans (nueces pecanas) or walnuts (nueces) to taste, for crunch. 
  • Fold nuts into salad before serving to avoid them getting soggy. 

Dressing:

• ½ Cup (120 g) whipping cream. (crema para batir)
• 1 Cup (230 g) crema. (crema)
• ½ Cup (153 g) sweetened condensed milk. (leche condensada azucarada)
• 1 tsp. (4.2 g) vanilla extract. (extracto de vainilla)
  • Mexican brands noted for their intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla. 

Instructions:

1. Drain mandarin oranges thoroughly.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine crema, whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and blended. 
3. In a large bowl, add fruits, mini-marshmallows, and shredded coconut.  
4. Gently fold in the cream mixture until fruits, etc. are evenly coated. 
5.  Refrigerate for a least 2 hours, allowing the flavors to blend. Refrigerate overnight for best results
6. Fold in nuts (to taste) before serving, if desired. 

Disfruta!

Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).