How to Make Yummy Desserts Featuring Fruits and a Recipe for Lemon Pineapple Party Punch

Fruits are not only delicious, they are healthy and make some yummy desserts. The recipes in this article feature some of our favorite fruits. You are sure to love Low-Fat Mandarin-Lime Fruit Dip served with an assortment of fresh fruits. This is perfect for your Spring and Summer parties. Old Nellie's Cherry Dessert goes together quickly and is wonderful served with a whipped cream topping. The Kentucky Fruit Dessert is based on an old dessert we ate in Kentucky. Being from Southern Indiana, we often crossed the Ohio River and ate in Kentucky where they served some wonderful food. This recipe is different but very good. The last recipe is for a Lemon Pineapple Party Punch which features the juices from these fine fruits.

LOW-FAT MANDARIN LIME FRUIT DIP
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp grated lime peel
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp orange juice

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend together well. Refrigerate several hour to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with an assortment of fresh fruit.

OLD NELLIE'S CHERRY DESSERT
2 cans cherry pie filling
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 box white cake mix

In a 9 x 11 x 2-inch baking pan, spread the two cans of cherry pie filling. Squeeze the lemon juice over the pie filling. Sprinkle the cake mix, dry, over the pie filling. Pour melted butter over the cake mix and sprinkle the nuts over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve topped with whipped cream.

KENTUCKY FRUIT DESSERT
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can diced pears
1 jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp flour
1 egg, beaten
4 red apples, unpeeled
1 cup white miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans

Drain the pineapple, pears, and cherries, reserving the pear and pineapple juices. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, egg, the reserved pineapple juice and 1/2 cup of the reserved pear juice. Cook the mixture over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Allow to cool. Remove the cores from the apples and cut into large chunks. Place the apples in a bowl; add the pineapple, pears, cherries, marshmallows and pecans. Stir gently to mix. Pour the sauce over all and chill for 24 hours.

LEMON-PINEAPPLE PARTY PUNCH
2 pkg (4-serving size) lemon gelatin
2 cups boiling hot water
1 can (46-oz) pineapple juice
1 small can frozen lemonade concentrate
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 bottle (2-liter) ginger ale, chilled

Mix the dry gelatin with 2 cups hot water and stir until completely dissolved. Add pineapple juice and lemonade concentrate to the gelatin mixture. Pour the mixture into a gallon jug and fill 3/4 full with tap water. Stir in the sugar and almond extract. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Add the ginger ale just before serving. Serve in a punch bowl with fresh lemon slices floating on top as garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/ For her diabetic dessert recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

Recipes for Yummy Cherry Desserts: Cherry and Cream Parfait, Cherry Fantasy, Cherry Cream Dessert

Cherries not only make pretty desserts they make tasty ones. Try these delicious desserts to please your family and friends. Cherry and Cream Parfaits are very easy to make and they are pretty enough to serve guests. And the little ones will love having their own individual dessert along with the adults. Cherry Fantasy is a delicious cherry dessert atop a brown sugar nut crust. Yummy! The Cherry Cream Dessert is a gelatin dessert with cream cheese and sour cream. It is a perfect summertime dessert!

CHERRY & CREAM PARFAITS

1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
1 cup sour cream
1 can (21-oz) cherry pie filling

In a mixing bowl, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, vanilla and salt continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the sour cream. Take six cherries from the pie filling and set aside. Spoon half of the pie filling into the bottoms of six parfait glasses; top with half the whipped cream mixture. Repeat the layers. Add one of the reserved cherries to the top of each parfait. Add a mint sprig to each of the parfaits, if desired.

Note for Diabetics: This recipe can be made for diabetics by making the following substitutions: Splenda Granula instead of sugar and lite cherry pie filling made with Splenda instead of regular pie filling.

CHERRY FANTASY CRUST:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts

In a medium mixing bowl, blend the above ingredients by mixing the brown sugar and flour together. Add the butter and cut in as though making pastry dough. Add the chopped nuts and press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow crust to cool. Crumble and spread evenly in the pan.

FILLING:

2 cups whipping cream
1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cans cherry pie filling
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla*

Whip the cream and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream and the cherry pie filling. Pour filling over the crust. Refrigerate overnight before cutting to serve.

*To change the flavor slightly, use 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring and 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring.

CHERRY CREAM DESSERT

2 pkgs (3-oz) black cherry flavored gelatin*
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar*
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can cherry pie filling*

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and pour into a 9 x 13-inch dish or pan; refrigerate until slightly firm.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, sugar, and chopped pecans; stir in pineapple. Spread mixture over set gelatin. Chill. Top with pie filling before serving.

*You can easily turn this into a diabetic or low-sugar dessert by using sugar-free gelatin,Splenda granular instead of sugar, and no-sugar added Splenda sweetened pie filling!

Enjoy.

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/. For her diabetic dessert recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

Yummy! Easy to Make Summer Desserts: Homemade Ice Cream, Cherry and Banana Cream Pie

Summer is the perfect time for get togethers with family and friends. Whether picnicking, beside the pool, camping, or just relaxing, we love desserts that are cool, refreshing, and easy to make. But of course we want them to be delicious and something our family and friends will remember. This article has recipes to make your summertime delicious. Lemon Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Cherry and Banana Cream Pie will bring you rave reviews.

NO ICE CREAM FREEZER NEEDED LEMON ICE CREAM

2 lemons
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar

Finely grate 1 tablespoon of the lemon rind and put into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze lemons for 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. Add juice to the bowl with the grated rind. Add the whipping cream and the sugar to the bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat on high speed until soft peaks (tips fold over) form when
the beaters are lifted. Transfer from the bowl to an air-tight freeze-proof container.

Freeze ice cream for at least a couple of hours or until firm. Garnish with thin strips of the lemon rind, if desired.

VANILLA ICE CREAM

4 cups whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat just until it bubbles around the edges. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Put in refrigerator to chill for at least a half hour.

Remove the chilled sugar/milk mixture from the refrigerator and add the whipping cream, half-and-half cream and vanilla flavoring. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the freezer can of ice cream freezer and follow the directions of your particular freezer.

CHERRY AND BANANA CREAM PIE

1 graham cracker pie crust
4-oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup thawed whipped topping
1 pkg (4-serving size) cherry gelatin
1 pkg (4-serving size) french vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup very well drained maraschino cherries
1 cup firm banana slices

Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread over the bottom of the graham cracker crust and place in refrigerator.

Mix the gelatin, pudding mix, and water in a medium saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just starts to boil. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the bananas and cherries. Spoon mixture over the cooled cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate pie for 4 hours or until set. Garnish with whipped topping and banana slices or cherries, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/.

For her diabetic dessert recipes and information visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/.