Summertime often brings weather so hot and miserable that it can be pure torture to turn on the oven. But dessert is still wanted and ice cream does get tiresome....
If you are a purist like me (really I mean--no central air conditioning so a few more degrees added to the misery by the oven doesn't really matter at this point) you can bake your own angel food cake and make homemade pudding. Otherwise, stick to a store-bought angel food cake and instant pudding. I really advise using Cool Whip or some other brand of non-dairy whipped topping because it is much more stable in this dessert than fresh whipped cream. If you have a LOT of guests and plan on consuming ALL of this dessert (and it makes A LOT) in one go then by all means use the more delicious whipped cream. But I warn you...if you try to refrigerate the leftovers you will not be happy with what the fresh whipped cream does in just a few short hours.
This is a good recipe to bring to potluck picnics as it makes a large amount and easily serves a dozen or more people of mixed ages.
Punchbowl Dessert
by Michelle (and I'm sure countless others have nearly the same recipe)
1/2 angel food cake, torn into chunks
4 cups of prepared pudding (homemade or instant)
2 containers of Cool Whip (16 ounces)
3 bananas, sliced
1 lb of strawberries, sliced
1 pint of blueberries
2 cups of fresh pineapple, in small chunks OR 1 large can of pineapple drained
In a large punchbowl, spread a layer of Cool Whip. Then layer in this order: cake, fruits, pudding, Cool Whip. Depending on the size of your punchbowl (or regular bowl) you may have 2 layers or more. Make sure to end with a pudding then Cool Whip layer. If desired, decorate the top with reserved fruits. Avoid banana slices on top--they discolor.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Return unused portion to the refrigerator. This dessert will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge--if it lasts that long!
Feel free to use different combinations of fruits in this dessert. Personally I like to omit the pineapple but some in my family looooooove the pineapple so I leave it in. Any fruit that tastes good with whipped cream is going to taste good in this recipe!
