Apple, Strawberry and Chocolate Salad

I think that I have mentioned before that my parents grew up in Michigan. Something that I love about the Michigan mentality is that if you call it a salad then it is a side dish and doesn’t count as dessert. That’s my kind of thinking, you know?

Every family reunion we ever went to had at least 10 salads on the table. Some of them really were salads but many of them were what I like to call re-purposed desserts. This salad is exactly like that. It’s only claim to salad fame is the fruit. It’s a balance of creamy, crisp, tangy, sweet, gooey goodness. Tangy apples like Granny Smith or Honey Crisp and cut into chunks, leaving the peel on. I like to add ripe strawberries when they are in season because they add another flavor layer. Mini Marshmallows and toasted, chopped pecans go in next. Cut up Milky Way bars or Snickers, add slightly sweetened whipped cream, and that’s it.

It is so good. [pullquote]This is great for warm weather entertaining , Mother’s Day, or whatever potluck you want to totally own.[/pullquote]

I used the small candy bar squares that are one bite each because I thought it would save time. I didn’t like the result because in order to get all of the flavors in your mouth you needed to take too big of a bite. I’ll go back to chopping my candy bars up next time. You can do it either way but I think you get better texture and flavor when you cut up the larger bars.

It’s sure not a dish you are going to put on the table every night but it is a lot of fun to take to a potluck. Spoon it in to a pretty trifle bowl and it really does become spectacular.

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Apple, Strawberry and Chocolate Salad

Sweet strawberries, crisp and tangy apple, airy marshmallows, crunchy pecans, and gooey Milky Way bars are combined with a whipped cream mixture.

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 large Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples
• 1 pound of ripe strawberries
• 1 cup chopped, , toasted pecans, reserve 1/4 cup for topping
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 6 Milky Way bars
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

• Chop the apples into bite sized chunks - do not peel.
• Stem and cut the berries into similar sized chunks.
• Cut the Milky Way bars into bite sized chunks.
• Add the fruit to a large serving bowl and mix in the marshmallows and the pecans.
• Beat the cream until it starts to thicken.
• Add the sugar very slowly while still beating.
• When the whipped cream has a firm consistency ( don't over beat).
• Taste for sweetness - add a bit more sweetness if you like.
• Fold in the sour cream.
• Gently mix the whipped cream mixture into the fruit mixture.
• Sprinkle reserved pecans on top.
• Keep chilled until it's time to serve.

Notes

You can use the little candy bars in bags but the texture isn't as good.