Fruit and Cheese Jell-o Salad

Apricots, pineapple, and marshmallows. And cheese.

Here’s a version from the July 18, 1957 edition of the Winnsboro (Texas) News, provided by Mrs. H. M. Bingham of 401 South Main Street:

Apricot-Cheese Delight Salad

1 can (29 oz.) apricots
2 packages orange Jell-o
1 cup apricot and pineapple juice, combined
3/4 cup miniature marshmallows
1 can (29 oz. ) pineapple (crushed or sliced)
2 cups hot water

Dissolve Jell-o in boiling water, cool, add juices (reserve remaining juices from canned fruit for topping) and chill until slightly congealed. Fold in fruit that has been cut up. Add marshmallows. Pour in Pyrex dish or individual molds and chill until firm.

Fruit-cheese Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
3 Tablespoons flour
1 cup combined apricot and pineapple juice
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Combine sugar and flour with beaten egg. Gradually stir in juices and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter. Cool. Fold in whipped cream and spread over chilled gelatin layer. Sprinkle top with grated cheese. Chill. To serve, arrange squares on lettuce.

Mrs. Bingham told the News that this was an ideal club or party dish because it serves twelve and she would often bring some to a friend when she made it just for the family.

On a semi-related topic, for the record, I am fully aware that “Jell-o,” as I type it, is properly styled “Jell-O.” I simply reject the capitalization of the last letter. It’s not a hyphenated name, it’s a solitary vowel dangling on the end of a totally extraneous hyphen. I’m not playing this little game. We have the entire universe of English construction from which to draw brand names. I’m not rewarding anyone for cheating.

Or to put it another way, I believe that brands are entitled to their own names, not to their own dialect.

We met Opal Knight (and learned about the Women’s Land Army) in the post for chocolate fudge.

Also, the original was laid out like this:

From the box of F.J. from Sun City, Arizona. Some cards suggest a family history in Missouri and Kansas.

Jell-o Salad

2 regular size orange Jell-o
2 c. boiling water
1 c. drained fruit juice
1/2 c. small marshmallows
1 (#2-1/2) can pineapple tidbits drained and cut up
1 (#2-1/2) can apricots drained and mashed by hand

Combine juice of fruit to make 2 cups. Set 1 cup aside. Dissolve Jell-o with boiling water–add 1 cup fruit juice. Place in refrigerator to partially set.

Add marshmallows and fruit to Jell-o mixture and stir well. Put mixture in large class bake dish and spread with topping.

Topping

1/2 c. sugar
2 heaping Tbsp. flour
1 c. fruit juice
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Add in order given except cream and cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring continually until well blended.

Cool and fold in whipped cream. Spread on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Opal Knight
12-22-64

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