Father's Day

For Father's Day I made my husband's favorite Key Lime Cake!  Here is a picture.  It's such a pretty cake.  My daughter said today..."You could sell this cake!"  That was a compliment I enjoyed.  Hopefully, some day I will be selling desserts in my cafe I so much want to open!  This will hopefully happen some summer...close to my retirement from teaching.  

I tried a new recipe from another one of Trisha Yearwood's cookbooks - Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen.  We really enjoyed it!  You could probably substitute already whipped cream for the heavy cream ...but I decided to whip the heavy cream.  I added a few more cherries because I had purchased a 10-ounce jar.  I didn't make this salad the night before as suggested.  It was ready in a couple of hours.  We'll see if it picks-up some sweetness after sitting in the refrigerator overnight.  Try this salad and let me know what you think. 

PINK SALAD
1 cup boiling water
1 3-ounce package strawberry-flavored gelatin
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 15-ounce can crushed unsweetened pineapple, drained
2 ripe, but firm bananas, peeled and diced
1 6-ounce jar maraschino cherries with juice, stems removed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup heavy cream


Pour the boiling water into a large mixing bowl.  Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved.  Blend in the cream cheese, stirring until it is thoroughly mixed and the gelatin is completely dissolved.  Cool in the refrigerator until the mixture thickens but is not fully gelled, about 45 minutes.  Add the pineapple, bananas, cherries, and nuts and mix gently. 


In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer or whisk to beat the cream until stiff.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the thickened gelatin mixture and pour into a 6 x 9 x 2-inch dish.  Refrigerate overnight, or until firm.

Source: Yearwood, Trisha. "Pink Salad." Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. New York: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2008. 55.