Mom saved some recipes for special occasions, this is one of them. Dates from the 1950's, probably earlier.

In the 1950's most homes served this kind of sweet salad with Holiday meals. Mom taught me to make this 50+ years ago.

Ingredients:

1 small bag Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)

1 jar (or can) sweet red Cherries or Maraschino Cherries, halved

1 large Orange, peeled, seeded, cut up

2 small or 1 large Banana, peeled, sliced

1 can quality Fruit Cocktail (not cheap brands)

1 Apple, cored, diced

1 cup seedless White Grapes cut in half (Thompson, etc)

1/4 cup Dark Raisins

1/4 cup Golden Raisins

1 small tub Whipped Cream (or make your own)

Vanilla Extract (to tastes)

Pinch of Salt

1 cup Mini Marshmallows

1/4 cup chopped Walnuts

1/4 cup chopped Pecans

Saved syrups from the canned/jarred ingredients above

A little Confectioners Sugar (powdered sugar)

Choose between plumping the raisins, coconut and chopped nuts in the completed salad overnight, OR plumping them in the saved syrups, OR, plump the raisins in water.

If using the syrups to plump ingredients, warming the syrups speeds up plumping, then chill them before adding to the salad or whipped cream.

Once the salad is assembled, chill the salad overnight in an airtight container to allow the flavors to develop and blend.

The warm soak in the syrups also softens the nuts so they're not so tough on tender gums and teeth. Some folks simmered the nuts to soften them before adding to the salad. Whichever way you choose, be sure to avoid putting warm or hot ingredients in the salad, chill everything well.

If coconuts, nuts and raisins won't be plumping in the syrups, then mix the syrups, vanilla and salt with enough powdered sugar to form a thickened sauce, similar to pancake syrup thickness. Mix this until the sugar has dissolved, and well combined. Mix this syrup into the whipped cream until smooth. This is the sauce for the salad.

Except for the sauce, fold all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the sauce a little at a time, folding it until well combined. Only add a little sauce at a time to prevent the salad being over sauced. Folding won't crush the soft fruits.

Seal in an airtight container and chill overnight to allow all the flavors to come together. Before serving, re-combine, as the sugar causes the fruits to weep out their juices overnight.

OR, make the creamy sauce the day you plan to serve the salad, then mix it into the salad before serving, and it will be just right.

The above method allows the salad ingredients to blend their flavors overnight, and the sauce will be as creamy and thick as you need it to be the day it's served.

If the sauce is made with sour cream, yogurt, etc, mix it the *same day* you plan to serve the salad. Overnight in the fridge, the citrus acids will make the dairy separate.

I've made this salad in differing ways. If there's an ingredient you don't want, leave it out.

Tons of similar fruit salad recipes have been created since the 1940's and 50's. There's an older 3-ingredient version that dates from the 1800's. This is my mother's version of Ambrosia Salad.