Quick and Easy Crema de Fruta

My dad asked me if I could come up with a quick and easy recipe for Crema de Fruta so he could try his hand at making it. He's gotten the baking bug recently and wanted to start out with some simple recipes first then work his way up to more challenging ones. So I experimented with a few ingredients and came up with an incredibly effortless version.

As I mentioned on a previous post, crema de fruta is a Filipino dessert that is very popular around the holidays. The traditional version that I posted last year was made with sponge cake and stirred custard. This quick and easy version that I created for my dad is made with vanilla cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix. Yes, you read that right. Now how can you get any simpler than that?

A lot of my friends and family have quickly embraced this easy recipe because it's pretty much foolproof to make. I have a feeling a lot of them will be making this for their family gatherings in the next couple of weeks. The best part about this recipe is that it will fill two party trays. Hooray!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Quick and Easy Crema de Fruta
Makes about 24 servings
Allergy note: contains eggs, wheat and dairy

cake:
1 box white cake mix
1 cup milk
1 cup oil
4 large eggs

crema:
2 boxes Jello instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
2 cups whipping cream

fruta:
2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce each)
1/2 cup water
2 30-oz. cans fruit cocktail in heavy syrup (DO NOT drain the syrup)


cake:
Mix together cake mix, milk, oil and eggs. Pour into two rectangular aluminum pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

crema:
Using an electric mixer, whisk together instant pudding mix, milk and whipping cream together until thickened. Pour over cake and spread evenly.

fruta:
Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the water. Let the gelatin absorb the water and expand. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the gelatin melts. Mix into the fruit cocktail and pour over the crema.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Ambrosia Salad

We're going to my in-laws tomorrow and since they're not really big on desserts, I thought I'd bring them a fruit salad. My version of Ambrosia Salad has coconut milk and instant vanilla pudding mix as a base. It's light and not too sweet, so I hope they like it :-)


Ambrosia Salad
Makes 16 servings
Allergy Note: contains dairy ingredients

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
1 box Jello instant vanilla pudding mix (5.1 0z.)
1 16-oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained
2 20-oz. cans pineapple chunks, drained
2 11-oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

In a large mixing bowl, whip together heavy whipping cream, coconut milk and pudding mix until thickened. Mix in cherries, pineapple, oranges and shredded coconut. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Fresh Fruit Strudel

One of my fondest memories growing up was going to Hans and Harry's Bakery and picking up a fresh fruit strudel. The ride home was sheer torture because as soon as we got into the car, the sweet aroma of buttery pastry would swirl around me and make my mouth water. It took every bit of restraint for me not to open the box and pluck a strawberry right off. If you've ever tasted their fruit strudel, you know exactly how I feel (if you haven't, I strongly recommend that you do). Admit it, you've thought about taking a strawberry (or two) before making it home.




Years later, I was lucky enough to work there and learn how to make these delicious strudels. No, I'm not going to divulge their recipe (are you kidding me?), but I will offer up my homemade version. It's almost as good as the original and the best part is you can customize it to your heart's desire. You can even munch on a few strawberries and no one will ever know. It's okay. I won't tell.



Fresh Fruit Strudel
Allergy note: contains wheat and dairy

puff pastry:
1 package of frozen puff pastry dough
turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw) or light brown sugar

cream filling:

4 Tbsp. water

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce or 7.2 grams)

2 cups whipping cream, cold

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

fruit toppings:*
peaches
strawberries
blueberries
kiwi fruit

seedless raspberry jam
powdered sugar

*Fresh fruits that are in season work best, but if they're not available or limited, you can use canned or frozen fruits instead. I used canned peaches and frozen blueberries myself :-)
If you're going to use frozen blueberries, put them on the fruit strudel while they're still frozen - they'll be too messy to handle if you let them thaw first. Don't worry, they'll be at room temperature by they time you're ready to serve it.

To prepare the pastry:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Let the puff pastry thaw at room temperature (about 40 minutes). Brush a little bit of water along each side of the puff pastry and fold about 1/2 inch inward. Press and seal the edges. Brush on top of the edges with a little water and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Dock with a fork and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool completely before assembling the fruit strudel.

To make the cream:

In a small bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the water. Let the gelatin bloom for a few minutes (it will absorb some water and swell up a bit). Add 1/4 cup of the whipping cream and microwave for a minute or until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Set aside.

Whip the cream cheese then add the whipping cream, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Whip to soft peak stage. Add gelatin mixture and vanilla. Continue to whip to stiff peaks.

To assemble the fruit strudel:
Spread some seedless raspberry jam on the bottom of the puff pastry. Spread a layer of cream filling and top with fruits. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

NOTE: Instead of powdered sugar, you can brush a nice shiny glaze on the fruit strudel. Just mix together some apricot jam or preserves with a tiny bit of water. Heat in the microwave for a minute or so until melted. Let it cool then use a pastry brush to lightly glaze the strudel.

Fruit S'mores

Strawberry S'mores

Okay, so this isn't exactly revolutionary, but I thought since it has become a family favorite, it was worth mentioning. This is a quick and easy treat that I like to put together when I'm short on time and need something sweet to eat. Basically, you add slices of fruit inside a s'more and voila ... you've got fruit s'mores. Just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and you're done.


Banana S'mores

You can really get creative with flavors: just run wild with it. Other fruits you can try are raspberries, blueberries, apples, cherries, pineapples, pears, apricots and shredded coconut. You can also spread some strawberry jam, lemon curd, orange marmalade, nutella, peanut butter, Sunbutter or almond butter on the graham cracker for another layer of flavor.


Orange S'mores

Fruit S'mores
allergy note: contains wheat and dairygraham crackers (plain, cinnamon or chocolate)
chocolate bar or chocolate chips (milk, dark, semi-sweet or white chocolate)
marshmallows (regular or mini)
slices of fruit (see suggestions above)
jam or nut butter (optional)
Line a microwave-safe plate with graham cracker squares. On each graham cracker, place some chocolate and marshmallows. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or until the marshmallows begin to puff. Place slices of fruit on top of the soft marshmallows then cover with another graham cracker square (if you want, you can spread jam or nut butter on the graham cracker before placing it on top). 
You can also prepare these in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a layer of graham crackers then some chocolate and marshmallows. Bake for 5 minutes or until the marshmallows begin to puff. Remove from the oven and place slices of fruit on top of the soft marshmallows then cover with another graham cracker square.

Crema de Fruta

Here's another one of my favorite Filipino desserts. It's called crema de fruta (which translates to "fruit cream") and it's what I'm making for our family gathering this Christmas. I'm not sure why this dessert is so synonymous with the holidays, but why ask why? All that matters is it's sooooo good! There are so many variations of this dessert but the one I'm familiar with is a sponge cake layered with stirred custard and fruit cocktail and topped with unflavored gelatin.

My mom gave me a recipe for crema de fruta a long time ago but it only had instructions on how to make the custard and fruit gelatin - not the cake. She told me that when she makes it, she just goes to the local bakery and asks to buy a sheet of sponge cake, the same kind that's used to make jelly rolls. This saved her time baking, especially during Christmas when there's so many activities going on.



I decided to use a hot milk sponge cake for my version of crema de fruta because it's quicker and easier to make than traditional sponge cake. If you're really short on time, you can just buy the sponge cake at a local bakery like my mom did. Ladyfingers or pound cake are good substitutes as well. I also added a little cake syrup, a secret ingredient that most pastry chefs use to keep cakes moist. It's basically simple syrup that you add flavored liquers like Grand Marnier or kirsh.

Merry Christmas! Maligayang Pasko! Joyeux Noel!

Crema de Fruta
Allergy Note: contains eggs, dairy and wheat

sponge cake:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

cake syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

custard:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

30 oz. can of fruit cocktail in heavy syrup
1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin

To make the sponge cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a rectangular glass baking pan (I used an aluminum pan because sometimes I forget to bring back my baking pans during potlucks or family gatherings). Sift the flour and baking powder together. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick then slowly add the sugar. Continue mixing until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour mixture.
In a saucepan, combine milk, butter and vanilla extract; cook just until the butter has melted. Slowly pour into the batter; mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan then bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To make the cake syrup:
Place sugar and water in a saucepan; cook until the sugar has dissolved. Drizzle lightly over the sponge cake.

To make the custard: 
In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour and milk. Cook in medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Pour some of the mixture over the egg yolks and mix together till combined. Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook for a few more minutes then remove from heat.
Stir in butter and vanilla extract. Pour over the sponge cake. Let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, pour in the fruit cocktail and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin on top. Let the gelatin "bloom" (absorb liquid and expand) before mixing it in to the fruit cocktail. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes to melt the gelatin. Pour over the custard.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.