PINEAPPLE DELIGHT

1 20oz can crushed pineapple

1 bag of large marshmallows, cut up with buttered scissors

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 jar marachino cherries (optional)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a large bowl, mix pineapple marshmallows and heavy whipping cream. I like using the large marshmallows and cut them up with a pair of scissors that have been coated in butter. It gives the marshmallows a creamy taste and keeps them from sticking to the scissors. The point of using large marshmallows versus mini mallows is that by cutting up the large ones, the whipping cream and pineapple juice begins to break down the marshmallow quickly and helps to make the dish firmer. Make a day ahead and keep in the fridge so that all the ingredients have time to blend with each other. You can add cut up maraschino cherries or chopped walnuts. Some people add coconut or rice. But I like it with the pineapple, marshmallows, whipping cream and cherries. 

I can remember, as a small girl growing up in New Jersey, having this wonderful sweet treat at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think my mom made it because she was a terrible pie and cake maker. We used to laugh at her cakes. She would make a double layer cake that was about the size of a one layer cake. For some reason, she never got her cakes to rise. LOL. But mom could make the best darn soup and wonderful cookies. So, we never cared about not having cake or pie. We loved her Pineapple Delight.