Malai Fruit Salad

This is the Malai-ified version of Indian fruit salad - a dessert with cut fruit in sweetened milk. We, of course, replace the milk with our ice cream (Sweet Milk or Mango & Cream are perfect). The sweet flavors of star anise are layered into this dessert with our star anise simple syrup. And then this fruity dessert is topped with, wait for it….mango cream cheese frosting! The best kind of fruit salad, if you ask us.

Ingredients:

• Star Anise simple syrup, recipe to follow

  • ½ cup sugar

  • ½ cup water

  • 2-3 pods star anise

• Mango Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe to follow

  • 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 2-4 tbsp. Mango puree (either prepared, or made by cutting and blending a fresh mango)

• 2 cups of cut fruit - favorites include strawberries, mango, blackberries, and pineapple

• 1 pint of Sweet Milk or Mango & Cream Malai

To make the star anise simple syrup, heat together ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, and 2-3 star anise pods over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and let it come to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool and come to room temperature, without discarding the star anise. Set aside.

Make mango cream cheese frosting: place 4 ounces room temperature cream cheese, 3 tbsp. powdered sugar, and ¼ tsp. salt in a bowl. Mix vigorously with a spoon or spatula. Add 2-3 tbsp mango puree and mix until well combined. Taste and add more mango, if desired.

Place all fruit in a mixing bowl and drizzle about ¼ cup of star anise simple syrup on top. Toss gently to make sure that all pieces of fruit are covered. Taste and add more syrup if desired. (Leftover syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container and used for drinks or more fruit salad!).

Transfer fruit to a serving bowl. Add scoops of Malai’s ice creams on top. Top the scoops of ice cream with dollops of mango cream cheese frosting. Enjoy immediately.