I just can't help it, while I love cake and treats, I try very hard to make and eat healthier dessert alternatives too. So for my fiesta menu, I have both a Tres Leches Cake (found here) and an option of Chile-Lime Fruit Cups. Fruit cups are very popular and found all over Mexico from street vendors and markets. They are usually served in plastic cups and are "dressed" with chile & lime juice to order. The fruit in Mexico is so fresh and the lime and chile spice bring out the perfect balance in heat, acid and sweet. I highly recommend trying one the next time you are in Mexico. They're so tasty I'm certain they will be a crowd-pleasing hit at any fiesta in Mexico or at home!
Aside from chopping, these cute little fruit cups are incredibly easy to make, and are perfect for both parties and lunches, as they can be tailored to meet your fruit preferences. The fruit can be sliced and refrigerated up to 2 days before adding other ingredients and assembling - the perfect make ahead dessert.
I opted not to use plastic cups, like the street vendors use, as I wanted to be a bit more enviro-friendly. Instead of plastic, I used small pedestal drinking glasses I already had and put a recyclable paper cone inside each glass to keep the fruit in place. The glasses looked so colourful lined up on a serving tray that they looked like a fiesta decoration!
I hope you and your guests enjoy this fruity dessert.
Enjoy,
Krista
Chile-Lime Fruit Cups
This recipe is more of a guideline than exact measures. You will need to cut as much fruit as you need to serve, taking the size of your glass/vessel into account.
Ingredients
Fruit
Chop 3-5 of the following fruits into rectangular spears:
- watermelon
- cantaloupe (or other melon)
- mango
- pineapple
- jicama (I like to add this in for the white colour and it's apple-like texture)
- papaya
- cucumber (would be a great balance to the sweetness of fruit)
*I used pineapple, mango, watermelon, cantaloupe and jicama*
Spice
You can mix your own chile seasoning, with a combo of chile powder, dry harissa seasoning, or any dried chiles you can find. A really nice quality chile powder on it's own would be great as well. Make sure that there is no cumin in your chile powder though - it will add a funny flavour to the fruit.
I opted to use a pre-mixed chile spice called Tajin Classico (see bottom photo). It is a popular chile spice blend that can be readily found at various grocers and gourmet stores. There are a few different Tajin flavour blends available. As I use the seasoning with both sweet and savoury dishes, I like to stick with the Classico.
Limes
I used the juice of 2 limes with 4 large chopped fruits. Then I used 1 more lime (quartered) for garnish. Again this is to taste, but gauge on 1/2 lime per 1-2 cups of fruit.
Sea Salt
Garnish (optional)
Method
Slice chosen fruit into same sized rectangular spears roughly 1/2-3/4" thick. Stop here and refrigerate if making ahead. Place fruit in large, shallow bowl, drizzle with a splash of lime juice to taste. Gently toss with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle fruit lightly with chile seasoning. The amount you use should be light, not to overpowering. Place fruit into cups and top with a second small sprinkle of chile-lime seasoning & sea salt. Garnish with lime quarter.
After chopping the spears, there will be leftover fruit pieces. I like to throw these extras into a bowl for fruit salad. Follow the same procedure as above, pour lime juice on top and sprinkle with chile seasoning and a pinch of salt. The fruit looks fabulous when presented this way as well. Try to serve in a beautiful white bowl to showcase the stunning colours of the fruit.
