A column by managing editor Sara Maloney to revisit old recipes from the community’s cookbooks and give her take on them.
It’s truly amazing what was considered salad during the ‘70s. Jell-O? Whipped cream? We’ll take it as salad and dessert.
This Holy Family cookbook did not have a short supply of these special “salads.” It did take some work to find one that I could bear making – and I mean no disrespect to the wonderful people who contributed these creations. It’s just a different time.
This recipe had no collaboration between cabbage and Jell-O like some of the others, so it felt like a win. This “Strawberry Delight” has pineapple, strawberries and crushed bananas mixed with a hefty dose of chopped pecans and the star of the show – fresh whipped cream.
I was somewhat confused on how to meld all these fruits with a whole family-size box of Jell-O because this recipe definitely packs in the fruit, and I am still unsure if the consistency was supposed to be Jell-O-y or if it was supposed to be more pudding-y.
Mine, although I followed the measurements in the recipe, was very unlike the classic gelatin recipe. I do recognize this may be the goal – but I am not 100% sure what the end result was supposed to yield.
When I scooped the finished product onto a plate, it was quite liquid-y and pretty much fell apart into a puddle of mush. This recipe differs from a modern and classic strawberry delight recipe because it didn’t have a crust to keep it together. I think that could have really changed things, and also made it taste more pie-like.
As for the flavor, the nuts offered a nice change in texture and taste, although at the beginning I felt like they were out of place in this recipe. I was wrong about that. The fruit was good. The taste of the whole thing was fine, but the texture left much to be desired BUT I am not sure what the texture was supposed to be. Let me know if you know.
A special shoutout goes to the fresh whipped cream. I had never whipped my own heavy cream for any recipes, so I will say that in itself was enough to make this recipe worth it. I had a lot of leftover whipped cream that I will be keeping for coffee, etc.
This recipe comes from Bernadette Fulks in an old Holy Family Parish Cookbook.
Strawberry Delight
1 large box strawberry Jell-O
1 large pkg. frozen strawberries
2 crushed bananas
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 c. English walnuts, chopped
(The author wrote that she used pecans, so I did, too)
1 3/4 c. boiling water
1 small carton whipping cream
Mix the first six ingredients. Chill for several hours until set. Whip cream and spread over top.
Chill for an hour before serving. May be used as salad or dessert.
Do you have old or famous family recipes you think we should try? Email them to Sara at [email protected].
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