Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
We received three different recipes in response to Carolyn Krodell’s request for congealed cherry salad like that served at the old Hotel Sam Peck.
First up is this one from Jenny Ann Boyer.
“My mother made this salad for special occasions in the 1960s and ’70s,” Boyer writes.
The recipe was published in My Celebration - A Taste of Arkansas Cookbook, 1985.
Coke Salad 1 (16-ounce) can dark sweet cherries, juice reserved 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved 2 (3-ounce) packages cherry-flavored gelatin 2 (6 ½ -ounce) bottles Coca-Cola (see note) 1 cup chopped nuts 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
Combine reserved cherry and pineapple juices in a small saucepan. Add gelatin and heat, stirring, until gelatin dissolves.
Cool.
Combine the cherries, pineapple, cola, nuts and cream cheese and add to gelatin. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch dish and chill until firm.
Note: This size bottle of Coke is no longer available, so you will need to measure 13 ounces or use a 12-ounce can and add 1 ounce of water.
Anita Middelton shares this version, which uses fresh cherries. Middelton suggests serving the salad on a bed of lettuce with your favorite chicken salad.
Sam Peck Bing Cherry Salad 2 cups fruit juice (reserved from cherries and pineapple) 2 ½ cups Bing cherries, pits removed 1 cup crushed pineapple 2 (3-ounce) packages cherry-flavored gelatin 1 (12-ounce) can Coca-Cola 1 cup chopped nuts 1 ½ (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
In a small saucepan, bring fruit juice (add enough water to make 2 cups if necessary) to a boil. Add gelatin and stir to dissolve. Add cola. Chill until thickened. Fold in fruit and nuts.
Transfer to a ring mold and refrigerate until firm. Unmold and serve with piping of cream cheese.
Barbara Sue Turner’s version adds marshmallows and almonds to the mix.
Cherry Marshmallow Nut Gelatin 1 (3-ounce) package cherry-flavored gelatin 1 cup boiling water 1 cup club soda◊cup pitted fresh cherries OR canned sweet cherries, drained 3 tablespoons chopped blanched almonds ½ cup miniature marshmallows 1 cup cold heavy cream 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar OR 2 teaspoons
honey OR 1 to 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gelatin and boiling water until gelatin dissolves. Stir in club soda.
Refrigerate until the gelatin is the thickness of unbeaten egg whites, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Fold in the cherries, almonds and marshmallows. Pour mixture into a 3- to 4- cup bowl or mold. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. Unmold and serve with whipped cream.
For the whipped cream: Whip or beat the cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until thickened, add desired sweetener and vanilla and continue beating until soft peaks form.
Next week: Lemon cake.
REQUEST
House salad dressing like that served many years ago at Heinie’s Steakhouse in Springdale for Helen Elmer.
Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; e-mail: [email protected] Please include a daytime phone number.
Food, Pages 36 on 04/24/2013