Creamy Dreamy Rum-flavored Fresh Fruit Ambrosia

Author Notes

This is my own version of my mother's ambrosia, which was full of canned fruit in syrup and lots of Cool Whip--I use fresh fruit and the only thing canned is the mandarin oranges in JUICE. I wanted something creamy too, though so I use fat-free sour cream and Lite Cool Whip which is a combo that is both creamy, luscious and fat-free--the slight tartness of the sour cream in combination with the sweet Cool Whip gives it an extra zing! The version I give here is for parties and special occasions, so I added the marshmallows, which makes it a little fluffier, a little sweeter, but you can leave out the marshmallows if you like. Also, I add a half cup of real rum to make it more festive and the taste even richer--again, you can substitute rum flavoring if you want to. The dish always gets raves at parties and disappears fast, so I usually put up a container of it in my fridge before taking it to the festivities--invariably, it is a nice treat the next day. You can also use some of the mandarin orange slices or sliced strawberries to decorate it instead of cherries, which I use because the bright red against the creamy background of the ambrosia looks so happy and cheerful, and people usually associate maraschino cherries with special treats! —BeijingRose