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Over a Cup of Coffee: A question about ‘Pudding Fruit Salad’ and more

Diane Prather
Diane Prather
Diane_Prather

Last week’s column talked about using hot liquid for pudding and how it works. In case you were wondering where the question came from, a couple of weeks ago Evelyn Tileston and Anna Adams of Craig called me. Evelyn had a question about the recipe for Pudding Fruit Salad featured in a recent column. She had never heard of making instant pudding with hot liquid. The recipe’s directions call for putting the fruit juice in the microwave before mixing it with the pudding. She thinks that the pudding will clump.

As I wrote in the column, I have never made this recipe before — it came from my “try” file — but I have made salads using pudding lots of times. I always use milk or fruit juice to mix up the pudding but have never heated it. I wondered why I didn’t question the hot juice before, but I have been buried under a pile of paperwork, so I haven’t been thinking that clearly. I’ll use that as an excuse anyway. I even thought that I made a typo, but that’s not the case.

I’m out of instant pudding right now, but I’ll get some and sacrifice a box so that I can try mixing it with hot liquid, and I’ll let you know what happens. In the meantime, I know that you will be safe using cold milk or juice for the recipe. That’s what I do.



Anna recently was looking at an ad for specials at City Market and wondered what London Broil was. So I called the meat market at the store and talked to Paul Auwaerter who was very helpful. The London Broil is a thick-cut top round. Paul said that the meat can be tough, so he soaks the meat overnight in a bag with an Italian dressing that has a high vinegar base to it. A person can score the meat before putting it in the bag. The next day, he puts the meat on a real high flame for about two to three minutes to seal the juices in.

Next, he turns the heat to medium and cooks the meat until it’s medium rare or even more on the rare side. It takes about 15 to 18 minutes total. Paul warns that if you cook the meat too long it will be tough. Thanks so much, Paul!



Since I’ve been writing about pudding, here’s a good dessert for Valentine’s Day. This is a well-known recipe. I may have even included it in this column before. I’ve made it a lot.

Four Layer Dessert

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup margarine, melted

½ cup chopped pecans

1 eight-ounce package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup thawed whipped topping

2 three-ounce packages instant chocolate pudding

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional thawed whipped topping

Combine the flour, margarine, and pecans. Mix well. Spread in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and one cup whipped topping.

Spread over the cooled layer. Mix together the pudding mix, milk, and vanilla. Beat until thickened. Pour this over the cheese layer. Top with additional whipped topping. Chill until serving time. Serves 12 to 15.

Thanks to Evelyn and Anna for your comments and questions. I’m looking for recipes. If you have one you’d like to share, call me at 824-8809 or write to me at PO Box 415, Craig 81626.


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