Have fun with your fruit salad by turning it into a Japanese-style cream sando and a no-bake cheesecake in a tin, ready for gifting.
Who says fruit salad has to be just a bowl of chopped fruit? Boring. These two recipes encourage you to shake things up and have a little fun with the Christmas classic. Why not make a Japanese-style fruit sandwich, or a no-bake cheesecake tin topped with fruits? Whatever your creative twist, Nestlé All-Purpose Cream delivers that familiar, irresistible creaminess you love in a fruit salad.
Whip cream: Combine Nestlé All-Purpose Cream and sugar in a mixing bowl. Start whipping cream with a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-low speed. Once cream thickens, increase speed to medium until stiff peaks form. To test stiff peaks, stop your hand mixer and lift the whisk—the cream should have tips that stand straight up, like a hat.
Assemble sandwiches: Lay a sheet of cling wrap over a chopping board or a flat work surface. Place one slice of bread on top of the cling wrap. Spread a thick layer, about 3 tablespoons, of whipped cream over the bread. Add fruit cocktail in a single layer over the cream.
Spread whipped cream over a second slice of bread. Cover the first slice of bread with the fruits with the second slice, cream-side down, pressing gently. Wrap sandwich tightly with cling wrap. Repeat with remaining bread, whipped cream, and fruit cocktail. Refrigerate sandwiches until cream is firm, 4 hours to overnight.
Serve: Remove sandwiches from cling wrap. Slice each sandwich diagonally with a serrated knife, forming two halves. Serve immediately.
Make crust: Place graham crackers in a large resealable plastic bag or bowl of a food processor. Crush into fine crumbs. Add graham cracker crumbs to a large bowl with melted butter, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine until crumbs resemble wet sand. Add about 1 cup of the mixture into each of your metal tins. Press down with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to flatten into a single even layer. Set aside.
Whip cream: Add Nestle All-Purpose Cream to a mixing bowl. Start whipping cream with a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-low speed. Once cream thickens, increase speed to medium until stiff peaks form. To test stiff peaks, stop your hand mixer and lift the whisk—the cream should have tips that stand straight up, like a hat. Store in the fridge to keep cool until ready to use.
Prepare gelatin: Combine gelatin powder and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk continuously until powder is dissolved, forming a paste. Continue cooking, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Make cheesecake mixture: In another large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and gelatin paste. Whisk until smooth and homogenous, either by hand or with a hand mixer. Switch to a rubber spatula and add whipped Nestlé All-Purpose Cream in small batches, carefully folding the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture before every addition.
Pour and set: Add about 2 cups of cheesecake mixture into each of the metal tins. Spread evenly with a rubber or offset spatula, then tap the tin on the counter to flatten the top. Cover tins and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours to overnight. Remove lids and top cheesecakes with a layer of fruit cocktail. Cover and keep chilled until ready to serve.
