Chef Dean
Amish Buttered Egg Noodles
The humblest side dish in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, where wide egg noodles and good butter need nothing more than salt and a warm bowl to become the thing everyone remembers from the church supper.
Culinary Explorer
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Classic Ambrosia Salad
Created by
The original American fruit salad, a billowing cloud of sweetened coconut, tender citrus, and tiny marshmallows folded into whipped cream so light it barely holds together. Your grandmother made this for a reason.
Salads
American
Potluck
Holiday
Easter
25 min
Active Time
0 min cook•25 min total
Yield10-12 servings
Ambrosia means food of the gods. The name is not an exaggeration. When this salad appeared on American tables in the 1870s, fresh coconuts and citrus were rare luxuries, shipped north at great expense. To combine them in a single dish was an act of extravagance, a celebration reserved for holidays and special occasions.
The version we know today took shape in Southern kitchens during the early twentieth century. Canned pineapple and mandarin oranges made the ingredients accessible. Miniature marshmallows arrived in the 1950s, and home cooks folded them in without hesitation. Some traditionalists object to the marshmallows. I am not among them. They add a tender chew that balances the fruit's acidity and the coconut's texture.
What makes ambrosia work is the restraint of its sweetness. The whipped cream should be barely sweetened, letting the fruits and coconut carry the flavor. Drain your fruits thoroughly. Excess liquid is the enemy of proper texture. You want each component distinct, suspended in cream like jewels in a cloud, not swimming in syrup.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
sour cream
Quantity
2 cups (16 ounces)
heavy whipping cream
Quantity
1 cup
very cold
powdered sugar
Quantity
3 tablespoons
pure vanilla extract
Quantity
1 teaspoon
mandarin orange segments
Quantity
2 cans (15 ounces each)
well drained
pineapple tidbits
Quantity
1 can (20 ounces)
well drained
maraschino cherries
Quantity
1 jar (10 ounces)
drained and halved
sweetened shredded coconut
Quantity
2 cups
miniature marshmallows
Quantity
2 cups
chopped pecans (optional)
Quantity
1/2 cup
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| sour cream | 2 cups (16 ounces) |
| heavy whipping creamvery cold | 1 cup |
| powdered sugar | 3 tablespoons |
| pure vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| mandarin orange segmentswell drained | 2 cans (15 ounces each) |
| pineapple tidbitswell drained | 1 can (20 ounces) |
| maraschino cherriesdrained and halved | 1 jar (10 ounces) |
| sweetened shredded coconut | 2 cups |
| miniature marshmallows | 2 cups |
| chopped pecans (optional) | 1/2 cup |
Equipment Needed
- •Large serving bowl (at least 3-quart capacity)
- •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- •Fine-mesh strainers (2)
- •Rubber spatula
Instructions
- 1
Drain the fruits thoroughly
Empty the mandarin oranges into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Do the same with pineapple tidbits in a separate strainer. Let them drain for at least fifteen minutes, pressing gently with a rubber spatula to release trapped liquid. Halve the maraschino cherries and spread them on paper towels to blot dry. Watery fruit is the ruin of ambrosia.
Save the pineapple juice for cocktails or smoothies. Discarding good juice is wasteful. - 2
Whip the cream
Pour the cold heavy cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about two minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then continue beating until the cream holds stiff peaks that stand upright when you lift the beaters. Do not overbeat into butter.
Chill your bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping. Cold equipment makes fluffier cream. - 3
Build the base
Spoon the sour cream into a large serving bowl. Fold in the whipped cream using a rubber spatula, working gently with broad strokes from the bottom up. The goal is a uniform, cloud-like mixture that's lighter than sour cream alone but more stable than pure whipped cream. This takes about twenty strokes.
- 4
Add the fruits
Scatter the drained mandarin segments over the cream mixture. Add the pineapple tidbits and cherry halves. Fold gently, turning the bowl as you work, until the fruits are evenly distributed. Handle the mandarins with care. They tear easily, and you want intact segments suspended throughout.
- 5
Fold in coconut and marshmallows
Add the shredded coconut and miniature marshmallows to the bowl. If using pecans, add them now. Fold with the same gentle motion until everything is incorporated. The salad should look like a snowdrift studded with treasure. Taste and consider whether you want more sweetness. Usually you don't.
- 6
Chill before serving
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the salad. Refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight. This resting period allows the flavors to meld and the marshmallows to soften slightly, absorbing just enough moisture to become tender rather than chewy.
Overnight rest is ideal. The flavors marry and the texture improves. Patience rewards you here. - 7
Serve cold
Give the ambrosia a gentle stir before serving. If transporting to a potluck, keep it in a cooler until the last moment. Serve in chilled bowls or let guests spoon portions onto their plates. The salad should be cold, fluffy, and just barely holding its shape. Room temperature ambrosia is a sad affair.
Chef Tips
- •The ratio of sour cream to whipped cream matters. Sour cream provides tang and stability. Whipped cream provides lightness. Together they create something greater than either alone. Do not substitute one entirely for the other.
- •Buy whole mandarin orange segments, not broken pieces. The visual appeal of ambrosia depends partly on recognizable fruit. Broken oranges disappear into the cream.
- •Toast the coconut lightly in a dry skillet if you want deeper flavor and more texture. Watch it carefully. Coconut burns the moment you look away. Let it cool completely before adding.
- •For a more traditional version without marshmallows, increase the coconut to three cups. The texture remains interesting, and purists will thank you.
- •This recipe doubles easily for large gatherings. Use your biggest bowl and fold in stages to avoid crushing the fruit.
Advance Preparation
- •Ambrosia improves with overnight chilling. Make it the day before your event for best flavor and texture.
- •The whipped cream base can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated separately. Fold in fruits, coconut, and marshmallows just before the final chill.
- •Keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days, though the marshmallows will continue softening. By day four, they've dissolved into the cream entirely.
- •Do not freeze. The texture becomes watery and unpleasant upon thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 41g)
Calories
315 calories
Total Fat
24 g
Saturated Fat
15 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
8 g
Cholesterol
35 mg
Sodium
62 mg
Total Carbohydrates
30 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
19 g
Protein
2 g
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