St. Patrick's Day Fruit Rainbow Recipe

Photo by: Taste of Home

From out of the blue this time comes a truly beautiful sight. As soon as folks get a glimpse of it, though, it'll likely disappear fast! Conjured up by CT's cooks, the colorful arch features pound cake topped with a creamy spread and fresh fruit. An orange "pot" at the rainbow's end is full to the brim for dipping, too. Follow the easy instructions here, and you'll have a good-as-gold treat sure to shine at a St. Patrick's Day party—or any festive event.

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Ingredients

1 medium navel orange

1 loaf (10-3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

5 teaspoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

8 drops yellow liquid food coloring

2 cups fresh raspberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

15 to 18 large green grapes, halved

15-ounces can of mandarin oranges, well-drained

10 to 15 fresh strawberries, halved

Mint leaves, optional

17- x 12-inch board

Blue gift wrap to cover board

Clear cellophane to cover board

Gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins (optional)

Directions

Cover the 17-in. x 12-in. board with blue gift wrap, taping the wrap on the back side of the board. Cover the wrapped board with clear cellophane in the same way.

Pot of gold: Referring to the photo above for position, score a 1/2-in.-wide strip over the top half of the orange to make the handle. Score the peel from the base of the handle on one side to the base on the opposite side. Cut along the scored lines with a paring knife and remove the peel. Repeat on the other side of the handle.

Using a paring or grapefruit knife and spoon, scoop out the pulp from under the handle and inside the orange. Discard pulp.

Use a peel stripper to cut six to eight strips about 1 in. apart form the top to the bottom of the pot, leaving the peel attached to the bottom. Roll up peel into loops and tuck them under the pot.

Rainbow: Cut the cake into 1-in. cubes. Arrange two rows of cubes on the covered board to form a 15-in.-long arch, making the right side 2 in. shorter than the left side.

In a small bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, orange juice, orange peel and 2 drops of food coloring. Fold in the whipped cream. Remove 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture and stir in 6 drops of food coloring. Spoon the mixture into the orange to create the pot of gold. If desired, arrange mint leaves on the covered board at short end of rainbow. Place the pot on top of leaves.

Spread the cake cubes with remaining cream cheese mixture. Referring to the photo for position, arrange the fruit in rows over the cake to form the rainbow's stripes. If desired, scatter gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins on the board around the rainbow and pot of gold. Yield: 8 servings.

Crafter thoughts: —Red raspberries, blueberries, green grapes, oranges and strawberries form the strips on the rainbow shown here. If you like, try other fruit such as red grapes, pineapple chunks, kiwi, etc. —Anytime you're enjoying fresh fruit, whip up this quick cream cheese dip all by itself as a tasty complement.

Finished size: Cake is 15 inches long.

St. Patrick's Day Fruit Rainbow published in Country Woman March/April 2003, p18