Saturday, August 3, 2013

Tea Room Recipe #31 - Something Special (Newnan, Georgia)

For summertime enjoyment, I thought it was high time I included a frozen fruit salad in the tea room recipes. This one is easy, unusually delicious, and can be made in individual portions in cupcake papers!

This week's recipe source is a vintage tea room cookbook I personally know something about, because I had the pleasure of eating here at Something Special in the early '90s when it was still operating as a tea room. This historic home in my town of Newnan, Ga. is now a popular special events center, and I'm so glad the sweet ladies who used to run a tea room there included their recipes in a cookbook!

The author of the book, Martha Sue McCain, wrote a charming note about why she included this recipe in the book: "When I start planning a special meal, whether it's for the bridge group, a professional group or a holiday dinner, it always comes up, 'And for salad, oh, you know, that frozen salad we all like.'" And so that's what she calls this delightful recipe!

That Frozen Salad We All Like

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (8-1/2-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large (12-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed

In blender (or food processor), mix cream cheese, sugar and pineapple. Pour into a large bowl. Next place in blender the cranberry sauce, pecans and mayonnaise and blend. Pour into bowl with cream cheese mixture. Stir in the whipped topping. Pour into greased 12 x 9-inch glass baking dish or individual paper-lined muffin tins. Freeze. Miss McCain recommends serving these on a "bed of shredded lettuce with an ever so small dash of mayonnaise." Yields 18 frozen salads.

13 comments:

  1. Oh this is a GREAT recipe- I am sooooo trying it!

    How perfect for not only warm weather, but for fall as well with those cranberries.

    YUM, Angela - thanks a lot!

    I always get a lump in my throat thinking about so many tea houses closing..........I adore you save and share these places. It somehow keeps them alive forever then.

    Hugs.

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  2. I am so glad you posted this recipe today! I have an occasion coming up which calls for this recipe! Thanks!

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  3. Looks like a lovely recipe so I shall go upstairs to that computer and print it out.

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  4. As a young girl I loved these frozen salads at potlucks. Memories! Now I must make it.

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  5. I've never had a frozen salad but this does look tasty, I like the ingredients. I wish my favourite tea room that closed a couple of years ago had made a recipe book.
    One day I met the editor of the magazine I was writing for at that time for lunch and had a Monte Cristo sandwich that had maple syrup to dip it in. Wow!
    Today, the magazine is no more and the tea room just a happy memory.
    Judith

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  6. I haven't had a frozen salad in ages. Love the name of this recipe.

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  7. So pretty! And it sounds delicious, thank you for sharing it. I love the idea of making frozen salad in cupcake wrappers, too.

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  8. Looks good, thanks for historic background of recipe ;D

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  9. This looks like it would be very refreshing on a hot summer's day!

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  10. So glad to read about this recipe, love how they named it! I never had a chance to visit their tearoom but thanks to you, the recipe will be shared and new memories will be created. Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes, Joanie

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  11. Do you drain the pineapple?...I would love making this for Thanksgiving...it sounds wonderful..

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