Ten Creamy Fruity Desserts for Your Wedding

Fresh, creamy, fruitylicious! Like your favorite frosting - only better. This is a deceptively simple recipe guaranteed to wow your wedding guests. From a simple Strawberry Cream Delight to the exotic Passion Fruit Cream favored by lovers through the ages, this dessert is the answer to your dessert dilemma.

Never let a tight budget get in the way of a fabulous dessert presentation. Let these delicious fruit cream concoctions inspire you to create your own master piece, then serve it up with confidence and style on your wedding day.

I love to experiment in the kitchen with new versions of old favorites or just come up with a concoction made from ingredients in my refrigerator on that day. That is how this recipe came about.
A far cry from the so called chocolate mousse served at some weddings, which often tastes like the instant pudding from the supermarket.

The beauty of this dessert recipe lies in it's simplicity. A dessert this simple is a splendid choice for an inexperienced cook or anyone in a time crunch.
All you do is prepare one basic crème with just five ingredients. Add your favorite fruit and now the possibilities have become endless.

Give your guests a choice of three desserts and let them wonder how you managed!

1. Key Lime Crème with strawberries
2. Mint Crème with chocolate chip
3. Lemon Crème with raspberries and kiwis
4. Mango Crème with tropical fruit
5. Pineapple Cream with coconut
6. Strawberry Delight with fresh strawberries
7. Passion Fruit Crème
8. Raspberry Crème with fresh raspberries
9. Paradise Crème
10. Blueberry Crème layered with lemon crème.

Passion Fruit Crème is a guaranteed winner at any wedding reception.
I like to add a shot or two of vanilla liqueur "43", from Portugal. If you like vanilla, you will be hooked on this liqueur forever.
Try mint or strawberry crème drizzled with cassis or chocolate liqueur.
Change it to a trifle - just by adding one layer of ladyfingers drizzled with Grand Marnier liqueur. So easy!

Key Lime Cream with fresh strawberries
If you like key lime pie you will like this crème.
Serves six or use martini glasses for at least eight servings.

Ingredients:
1. Two half pints of whipping cream. (choose organic)
2. One package - 8 oz of cream cheese. (choose organic)
3. One to three limes, key lime tastes best. You'll need at least two limes if you like it tart. Get extra limes to slice up for decoration.
4. One teaspoon of vanilla - get a small bottle of the real thing, not the imitation vanilla flavor.
5. Two to six teaspoons of natural cane sugar, just taste test until you like it:)
6. One medium container of fresh strawberries.

Sugar is the big variant here, because some fruits are naturally sweet and have a great flavor on their own. I do not like to drown out the taste of the fruit by overpowering it with sugar. You can of course use honey instead.
Your supermarket will carry the natural cane sugar. The color is light brown in its original state, but it will not show, it will liquefy.

Preparation:
Step one:
Wash the strawberries well, cut off the very bottom of the berries, incl. the green leaves and slice in half.
Keep four halves to the side for use as decoration later.

Step two:
Wash the limes. If you bought organic limes, good for you, then zest the lime first. (All that means is you scrape the outer layer of the lime, a very thin green layer, it has the most flavor, not the skin underneath)
Then juice two limes and set the juice aside. Keep your other limes aside for extra juice and to slice up for decoration right before serving.

Tip: Optional - add 2 envelopes of Whip It - one for every carton of whipping cream.
Whip It is a stabilizer, so that the whipping cream does not get watery after it sits in the fridge for a while. You will find it at most European Import Foods stores.
If you prepare and serve the crème that day, then stir it up once before serving, you do not really need the Whip It. I like to use it, because it improves and maintains the consistency of the creme.

Step three:
Get out your trusty blender or mixer and add all ingredients, except the fruit, but be sure you only add half the limejuice to start. Whip on the highest speed setting for one minute. Stop.
Check to see if all has mixed well (scrape the bottom, if necessary), taste for sweetness, add more sugar if you prefer, or add the rest of the lime if you want more lime taste or tartness. Then continue to whip on medium high speed until everything is well blended and has a crème consistency.

Serve in a martini glass and add a lime slice.

Voila, done. ...)
Your dessert is ready for the table - if you are not ready - then refrigerate until you are ready to enjoy.

Passion Fruit Cream
For the crème de la crème serve passion fruit crème at your reception.

Start with the basic recipe leaving out the lime.
Purchase three to five passion fruits depending on how fruity you like your dessert to be. I like four to five.
Slice the fruit lengthwise, scoop out the fruit flesh, and do not use the seeds.
Blend all ingredients on medium high for one minute. Stop for a taste test; add more sugar and/or more fruit. Scrape the bottom to be sure it all blended well. Continue to blend on medium high until blended to a creamy consistency.

For a trendy, exotic looking presentation garnish with a slice of star fruit and serve in a martini glass.

Voila - Berry Cream
If you really like berries, use mixed berries, strawberries or raspberries or blueberries - it all tastes fresh, fruity and delicious.

Same recipe-same preparations, skip the lime, add in one medium size container of berries. Remember to keep a couple of berries aside for decoration and taste for sweetness before adding more sugar.
You will need one extra container of fruit for layering or you may skip that step, as you like.
Layer the berry crème with more fruit or layer blueberry crème with lemon creme.

Strawberry Delight
A perennial favorite.
Layer the strawberry cream with real strawberries and place two sliced strawberries on top.
The slices look like two hearts - very appropriate for a wedding.
Berry concoctions look best served in a clear wine glass or champagne goblet.

Mango Cream with tropical fruit
Greetings from the tropics, you'll love this exotic treat.
Great for a wedding on the beach.

Purchase your favorite mangos - two to five fruits, depending on the size of the mango and how fruity you like your dessert to be. I like 3 to 5.
Follow the directions for passion fruit crème above.
Purchase any tropical fruit of your choice and cut into bite size chunks to layer with your mango cream.

Whole fresh blackberries, thin half slices of fresh star fruit and fresh pineapple chunks are the perfect combination to compliment the tropical mango.
Serve in a large martini glass and garnish with a pineapple slice.

Pineapple Cream with coconut
Same recipe - same preparation. Skip the lime and use the fresh fruit of one pineapple or one large package of frozen pineapple. Defrost and cut pineapple into chunks before blending.
Sprinkle with coconut and garnish with pineapple, lime or star fruit slices.

Lemon Cream
Same recipe - same preparation, just exchange the lime for lemon.
Lemon Crème pairs well with raspberry or blueberry cream and has wonderful eye appeal when layered with fresh raspberries or strawberries.
Top off with raspberries, a sprig of lemon balm or a slice of lemon.

Mint Cream
Same recipe - same preparation, but skip the lime and use one level tablespoon of real mint flavoring instead.
Taste test, then add more mint to suit your taste.

Stir in chocolate chips by hand at the very end to make Mint Crème with chocolate chips.

A margarita glass with a clear glass body and a green stem is a perfect choice for your mint creme .
For eye appeal, drizzle the finished dessert with raspberry or chocolate liqueur then add one to three raspberries.
Garnish with lemon, lime or orange slices hung over the rim of your glass.

Paradise Cream
Pick your favorites and combine to create your own winning combination.
Two of my favorites:
First layer - raspberry crème, second layer - kiwi chunks, top layer - lemon crème. Use a clear champagne or ice cream glass to show off the colors.
First layer - raspberries, second layer mint crème with chocolate chip.

Serving Sizes:
Taste test your favorites then fill into your own dessert glasses. A small martini glass may provide 10 servings, whereas a large goblet may only give you enough servings for 6 guests.
Always keep refrigerated until ready to serve and add your garnish at the last moment so it all looks as fresh and delicious as it tastes.
Enjoy!