Cookie Crumble Salad
What a fun salad for the kids to make!
The inspiration was a "spoonerism" or if not that, I had a spoon in my mouth while trying to speak. What came out was "cookie salad". Cookie Salad - why not? Who would not be lured to a salad, paired with the name "cookie"! Fruit was the obvious choice to be paired with cookies and a few lonesome strawberries were still lounging on my counter, waiting for my inspiration of what to do with them. As they saw their siblings popped into hungry mouths, or pureed to a sauce for ice cream, or floating among clouds of cream on a meringue crown, they must have wondered what was in store for them.
This flavor palette is reminiscent of trifle - strawberries, banana, orange for zing and blueberries. Which cookies? That was the fun part - and involved an excursion through the cookie aisle. Shortbread is not too sweet and its buttery flavor affably combines with cake and cookies. The pecans in the shortbread and the coconut of the macaroons added a nutty crunch; the snap of ginger snaps sparkled as a spiced "crouton" topping. (Of course, if you have the time and inclination, homemade renditions of the cookies are perfectly acceptable.)
What a fun salad for children to make! They will be doing "spoonerisms" of their own....the kinds where they spoon food into their mouths!
Cookie Crumble Salad
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 bananas, sliced in 3/4 inch slices
1 cup fresh blueberries
8 Pecan Sandie cookies cut into 6 pieces
8 coconut macaroons, broken into large pieces
6 gingersnaps, coarsely crushed
-Combine cut fruit and cookies in medium bowl and chill for 30 minutes. Place about 3/4 cup salad on each single serving dish. Top with 1/4 cup dressing and garnish with gingersnaps. Serve immediately. (If salad sits at room temperature for long, the cookies become soggy. The salad is more visually appealing if the dressing is spooned on top rather than tossed with the salad.)
Dressing:
3/4 cup cream, lightly whipped
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 ounces softened cream cheese
1 tab. grated orange rind
-Combine ingredients until well combined and chill until ready to use.
