One Lazy Girl's Crema de Fruta

It has been rainy week.

The kind of week where you just want to snuggle in bed and pretend you didn't hear the irritating sound that is your alarm clock.The kind of week where you wish it was the weekend so you have the time to make sinigang, sopas or bulalo and finish it off with something sweet. The kind of week where despite the creative ways of motivating yourself to bake something, you simply can't.

So what's a girl to do? Make the Lazy Girl's Crema de Fruta.

Crema de Fruta is my all time... let me cross that out... second all time, next to mommy's chocolate cake, dessert. It's fairly simple to make but we usually make it only during the Christmas holidays. But this weekend, I am making an exception. It's my way of celebrating the start of the Christmas season...It's the 'ber months so you know Santa's lurking just around the corner (subtext: Santa? Ahhemmm.... I've been exceptionally good this year. You know how I've always wanted a Kitchen Aid. )

For those of you unfamiliar with this delicious guilty pleasure, it's a dessert made up of soft, light sponge cake (I use Taisan) for a base, with creamy custard spread all over, sprinkled fruit cocktail and poured gelatin.

It's a very refreshing dessert, the type where you can have seconds or thirds (or fourths if you wish) and you still want to have more.

If only we can have this everyday of the year, then everyday would feel like Christmas wouldn't it? Me likey.

______________

One Lazy Girl's Crema de Fruta

Ingredients:

Cake Layer:

Store bought Taisan Bread (as many as you want)

Custard and Fruit Cocktail Layers"

1/2 can condensed milk

3/4 cup cold water

1.7 oz Jell O Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (that's half an envelope of the 4 1/2 serving box)

1 1/2 cups whipping cream (I use Avoset Pour and Whip.. no need to add sugar)

1 can fruit cocktail (reserve syrup)

Gelatin Layer:

1 box Alsa Gulaman

Directions:

Layer taisan in a pan (rectangle, square or circle... it's your choice)

To make the custard, combine cold water and condensed milk. Mix well. Add pudding to the milk mixture and beat until mixture thickens. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff then fold pudding mixture to the whipped cream. Spread custard over the taisan bread.

Open the can of fruit cocktail, drain and reserve the syrup. Assemble the drained fruits over the custard.

Cook the gulaman per package instructions substituting the fruit cocktail syrup for water. Pour gelatin over the fruit cocktail spoonful by spoonful to avoid unwanted bubbles.

Refrigerate for 2 hours, and enjoy!

Happy Cupcaking!
Aikko