Fresh Fruit Trifle (Recipe)

Ingredients

2 pears, cored and sliced (2 cups)

2 apples, cored and sliced (2 cups)

1 quart strawberries, rinsed, hulled and halved

4 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced 

2 cups red and/or green seedless grapes, rinsed and drained

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

2 8-ounce cartons vanilla or lemon yogurt

1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream

2 cups coarsely broken amaretti cookies

Additional coarsely broken amaretti cookies or macaroons (optional)

Steps

1. In a very large bowl, gently stir together the pears, apples, strawberries, kiwi fruit, grapes and oranges.

2. In small bowl, stir together the yogurt and sour cream.

3. In a 3-quart serving bowl, place 1/2 cup of the broken cookies.  Spoon one-fourth of the fruit mixture on top.  Cover with one fourth of the yogurt mixture.

4. Repeat, layering the cookies, fruit and yogurt mixtures.  Garnish with additional broken cookies, if desired.  Serve immediately or within 1 hour.

Tips:

To break the cookies coarsely, place them in a self-sealing plastic bag.  Partially seal, leaving one section of the seal open to allow air to escape.  Gently roll a rolling pin over the bag until the desired texture is achieved.

This trifle can be made up to 2 hours before serving.  If you plan to do so, however, dip the apples and pears in diluted lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.

Amaretti (or amarettini) are crisp, almond-flavored macaroons usually imported from Italy.  Look for them in specially food shops.

For easier party serving, layer the cookies, fruit and yogurt mixtures in sherber or plastic punch glasses.  Garnish each with a small cookies or a sprig of fresh mint.

To section a peeled orange: Hold the orange over a bowl to catch the juices.  Cut between one fruit section and the membrane, cutting to the center of the fruit. Turn the knife and slide it up the other side of the section next to the membrane; repeat.  Remove any seeds from the fruit sections.