It’s just so hard to leave the vacation life behind. This trip has been especially hard to get over, and has left me dreaming of grand canals and cappuccinos. And the fruit. Besides the fact that everything tastes better on vacation, I can say without any doubt that I devoured the freshest and most delicious fruit ever in Italy, namely pineapples. I actually opted for a cup of mixed fruit rather than strolling through historic streets with a scoop of gelato, not that I didn’t have a fair share of gelato. And i’m not really a fresh fruit person.

I like my fruits in a pie or topped with cream, so i’m going to share this childhood favorite recipe with you. I call it pineapple soufflé now because my kitchen genius of a cousin told me that’s what it’s called, but it was always known as ‘that cheesy pineapple dessert’ to me. I finally got the recipe from her last summer, and i’m pretty surprised I haven’t posted it yet. It’s perfect for summer, among other perfections. It’s rich with flavor, yet light in texture. It’s baked in a scorching oven, then chilled overnight. The makes for the perfect dessert.

It’s pretty simple to make. It’s a matter of throwing all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Here’s what you’ll need.

 2 cans of sliced (or crushed) pineapples, drained

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups whipping cream

1 can(6 oz) evaporated milk

3 Tblspn sour cream

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

In a large food processor or a blender add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half the pineapple. Blend until everything is pureed. Pour into a large bowl. Then blend the remaining pineapple, whipping cream and sour cream. If you have a huge food processor you could probably fit all the ingredients in at once, but I always mix everything in two batches so nothing overflows. But you need to whip all the ingredients or they won’t set in the oven and you’ll be left with a hot liquid that is too rich and sweet to eat.

(You can also just blend everything except the pineapple at once, then in the second batch just blend the pineapple, and mix the two mixtures.

Pour it into a greased oven proof dish (I usually bake this in a medium pyrex dish) and bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until you see the top turning into a golden brown film and the sides bubbling. Then turn off the oven and let the dish cool in the oven. After about an hour cover the dish in cling film and refrigerate overnight. If not overnight, then at least for five hours. I usually cover it with some cool whip or whipped cream, just to decorate it up a bit.

This dessert is divine. This should be good for up to 10 people, but it’s usually finished with just 3 or 4 around.