Frozen Cranberry Salad

This lovely salad is an absolute favorite of ours and has won rave reviews from the friends that have shared meals with us when this was on the menu. One friend was going to bypass it because he thought it was a dessert for later, until I corrected him. The salad is frozen, but it isn't hard. It is easily eaten after setting out at room temperature for about 20 minutes, so don't let the "frozen" part deter you from trying the recipe for your family. I was blessed to win a cookbook for this recipe as an entry in a contest. The one and only time I've ever attempted such a thing; maybe the last as it is a lot of work. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 16-oz can jellied cranberry sauce
3 tbsps. orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff
2 tbsps. low-fat mayonnaise
2 tbsps. sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional for garnish

1. Remove cranberry sauce from the can with a fork, breaking it up and mashing it as you go. Add orange juice and zest. Mix until smooth. You may need to use an electric mixer to accomplish this. Pour into a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan.
2. Add mayonnaise and sugar to whipped cream; beat about 30 seconds until smooth. Spread over cranberry and then sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
3. Remove the salad from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving time. Cut into squares and remove from the pan with a small spatula.

Yield: 8 servings
187 calories
Prep time: 15 minutes plus freezing time.