Vanilla Fruit Cream

No food memory is as closely associated with my mom as this dessert is ..an all time favourite of mine which she still makes when she is in a mood to treat me with some good ol' favourites....moms! sigh! While the original recipe uses only cream, this low(er) cal version hardly uses any cream..also I had some whole vanilla pods lying around from my trip to Kerala so I used fresh vanilla (that's what the little black dots in the picture are :)) but you can substitute with vanilla essence. Also for best results stick to the fruits used , only welcome addition is mango :) You can vary the quantities of ingredients to create the perfect dessert with taste and texture suited to your palate..

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 bananas,diced
1 cup grapes, cut into halves
3 cheekus, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
10-12 strawberries, cut into medium sized pieces
Juice of one lemon
2 cups cold skimmed milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cream
1 vanilla pod Or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1. Mix all the chopped fruits with the lemon juice and toss well, this prevents the apple and banana from turning black.
2. Add the sugar ,cream,milk and essence and toss hard so that the fruits mix well with the milk . You can add extra sugar /cream as per your taste. If you are using a vanilla pod, slit the pod vertically and scoop out the vanilla with the back of a spoon.
3. Chill for 4-5 hours before serving.
4. Serve in individual glasses garnished with kiwi/strawberry slices