We’ve all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but that’s not always true. Not only do professional food stylists create faux ice cream out of anything but to deceive the eye, but sometimes the opposite can occur. Sometimes, really good tasting food doesn’t look so great, much less photograph well.
What’s a food blogger to do?
Case in point—take this photo of a surprisingly delightful frozen fruit salad. I admit it may appear strangely unappetizing to the eye, but dagnabbit, this ugly duckling dessert tastes good if I do say so myself (and I know of those who would agree).
I debated for days (yes, literally days, just not consecutive ones) about what to do with this photograph and dessert. While it may not win any prizes in the photogenic category, what I like best about this frozen fruit salad is:
(1) it doesn’t taste like your first impression might tell you it would. For starters, it tastes better, but more importantly, it’s not super sweet (in fact it borderlines on savory) and tastes nothing like Jello (even though my taste-tester husband insists it looks “Jello-fied,” I swear, not a drop of Jello does this contain), and
(2) while this frozen fruit salad provides a nice change of pace to typical after-dinner treats (especially in the summer when you’re hankering for something cool and tasty but are tiring of ice cream), this dessert also works well as a side salad for breakfast, brunch or lunch.
In fact, this frozen treat would best be featured on a buffet-style or dinner spread as a complement to other flavors versus being served as a stand alone dessert.
Strange that something so delicious and refreshing would brightly shine in a supporting role, but such is life for this mosaic frozen dessert.
Recipe for Frozen Fruit Salad
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
- 1 cup Miracle Whip (do not substitute)
- 1 (15-17 oz) can fruit cocktail, well drained
- 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup maraschino cherries, diced
- 3 drops red food coloring
- 1 cup marshmallows
- 1 package Cool Whip
Assembly
In a medium-sized bowl, mix cream cheese and Miracle Whip together until creamy and thoroughly blended. Add ingredients 1-5 stirring mixture well, then fold in Cool Whip.
Pour into a greased 9×9″ or 9×13″ pan, cover tightly and freeze all day or overnight. Cut into dessert-sized pieces and serve frozen.
This just-in-time-for-the-dog-days-of-summer frozen fruit salad is also Inn Cuisine’s submission to Mike of Mike’s Table “We All Scream For Frozen Desserts.” Be sure to check it out!
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Some food is so hard to photograph but such is life. It sounds amazing and that’s good enough for me.
Sandie, I think it looks very appealing…I like the “mosaic” of fruit that’s dotted on the inside.
OMG, another Miracle Whip lover! I took so much heat when I posted about my Miracle Whip addiction — and then posted again, and again. But seriously, I don’t care if it’s not real mayonnaise. It’s the real deal in my kitchen, too!
NP – Me too!
Peter – I love that you termed this a “mosaic of fruit dotted on the inside.” That statement puts this dessert’s appearance in such a better light! In retrospect, I shouldn’t have been so hard on this frozen fruit salad. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or salad eater).
Lydia – LOL!! I had no idea you had such a serious Miracle Whip addiction. While I personally like Miracle Whip (it’s so tangy and different), I’m actually a Hellman’s mayonnaise girl myself. In this particular salad, nothing but Miracle Whip will do! (I’ve tried it with regular mayo and it failed miserably.)
For those out there who don’t care for Miracle Whip, this salad calls for exactly 1 cup of the white stuff which is the smaller size jar commonly available in most groceries. If you don’t care for Miracle Whip, this ensures there is none leftover to waste or find uses for.
Oh Lydia – put me in the Miracle Whip loving category too!
Sandie – I think this looks lovely and am so glad you posted it!
I think we’re all our own toughest critics because when I saw this photo, I thought it looked great! I was ready for some sort of major disaster (lol, I’ve posted my fair share…makes you wonder about the ones I haven’t posted)! I think the gentle pink is nice and the suspended fruit makes it look really appetizing and summery. And I have to say, that Miracle Whip caught me by surprise, but thinking about it, I could definitely see how it could work so I’ll have to try this one of these days (sort of like how sour cream in cake frostings/custards always seemed foreign to me…until I tried it). Thanks for a great entry!
Never ever bought a pint of miracle whip but I may have to make an exception for this one.