When I lived in the south I had a friend who was a little bit crazy. Actually, really, very crazy. But she was my friend and she was fun until she wasn’t, and she hated ambrosia salad.

Growing up sugar-free, I never knew there was such a thing as ambrosia salad until I got much older, and then the combination of canned fruit and whipped topping was not really something that appealed to me sober, so I never really investigated it. I liked the idea of a salad that was ambrosial, though, and I never quite forgot about it.

But then I met Nancy (name changed to protect her, and me, for she really is crazy), and she challenged me to make an ambrosia salad she liked for a potluck she was having. I did, and it was truly ambrosial. None of this canned, tin-tasting fruit and plastic whipped cream. The secret was fresh ingredients, toasted coconut, and toasted pecans, plus a little pinch of salt at the end.

Could we all use some sweetness and light right now? Yes, I believe we could. Here it is.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, toasted

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 oranges, suprémed and cut into ½” pieces

1 large grapefruit, suprémed and cut into ½” pieces

1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½” pieces

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

3 T confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place pecans and coconut on the baking sheet. Toast until both begin to brown or darken in color, shaking to prevent burning. This happens fast, so watch closely.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Place fruit in a large bowl with mini marshmallows.

In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream to soft peaks. Add vanilla and sugar and continue beating until the cream just stands up when the beaters are removed (not too stiff).

Fold whipping cream into fruit. Chill completely.

Before serving, add toasted coconut, toasted pecans, and salt and stir to combine.

Recipe notes

• Maraschino cherries often make an appearance here, but I cannot stomach all of that artificial color. If you must add cherries, add ½ cup of fresh Bing cherries or go completely over the top and add the same amount of Luxardo cherries. Truly heavenly.