Missus Walters's Ambrosia

Name: Missus Walters's Ambrosia
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 can mandarin oranges, drained; 1 can pineapple chunks, drained; 1 cup mini marshmallows; 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut; ½ cup maraschino cherries, halved; 1 cup sour cream (or whipped cream); Pecans, chopped, to finish

Serve when

Serve it in a bowl by the television — the ambrosia Missus Walters won't let bridge club start without, spooned out while she watches her stories.

In the movie

Theatrical

~00:10:44 Missus Walters interrupts bridge club to ask after 'that ambrosia' — Minny confirms there's some, and it's brought to her while she watches her afternoon program.

Missus Walters's ambrosia is a small, telling detail — the one dish she insists on by name while everyone else in the room performs Southern hospitality around her. It's the least fussed-over food in the film and the one someone actually demands.

Ingredients

1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
½ cup maraschino cherries, halved
1 cup sour cream (or whipped cream)
Pecans, chopped, to finish

Method

Fold the oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut, and cherries together gently.
Stir in the sour cream until everything is coated.
Chill at least 1 hour so the marshmallows soften into the fruit.
Scatter with chopped pecans just before serving.