Orange Cream Gelatin Dessert is an easy dessert that you can make from a few items in the pantry and freezer at any time of the year. It works well for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's Day, bridal or baby showers, etc. It is sweet and rich, yet somehow also seems light and refreshing.
It is a rather nostalgic dessert as it reminds me a little of an orange push-up ice cream treat from my childhood. Plus, it is a molded gelatin dessert, which always reminds me of the past.
As with other gelatin and fruit dishes, someone might call this a "Jello salad" in the United States. However, this recipe uses an entire quart of orange sherbert in addition to gelatin, so I can not bring myself … Continue Reading about Orange Cream Gelatin Dessert
One of my relatives used to make this salad and bring it to covered dish gatherings. I remember always being very pleased to see it among the many dishes lining the tables. My mom did not make this dish, but I loved it. It took me many years to figure out how to make it. I ended up finding an old recipe for a cooked pineapple dressing to get the general ingredients and ratios to use as a guide. After some experimenting, the result is pretty close to how I remember the salad/dessert tasting.
It has become one of my daughter’s favorite “salads,” although we eat it as a dessert. It is still reserved for a holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) or potluck dish at our house.
It is really good the next couple of days, but I do not think it holds up well after the second day. So, if it won’t be eating within a couple of days, I suggest cutting down this recipe by half (you can reduce it to 1 can of pineapple, 1/2 c. of nuts, and 1/2 c. of marshmallow, with half of the dressing ingredients, but just not use all of the dressing).
3 - 20 oz. cans pineapple chunks drained, reserve juice of 2 cans
1 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 c. pecan or walnut halves
1/2 c. +/- sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
Combine well-drained pineapple, nuts, and 1/4 of the marshmallows in a larger bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, mix reserved pineapple juice, sugar, and salt.
Whisk in the eggs and heat on med.-high while stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
Make a slurry of the cornstarch and some of the heated juice mixture. Whisk the slurry into the juice mixture.
Stir constantly until the mixture is thickened. It should be leaving distinct trails of the whisk and coat the back of a spoon leaving a clear path when you run a finger through it on the spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
Allow the dressing to cool for a while, but while it is still warm pour it over the pineapple and nut mixture. The marshmallows will partially melt.
Once the dressing has cooled completely, stir in the remaining marshmallows.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.
Notes
I store my pecans in my freezer. I take them directly from the freezer and place them in the bowl with the pineapple, so they are still very cold when I add the dressing.
