This is a simple, fast and easy fruit soup. It is traditional Mennonite fare, and easily one of my favorites. “Moos” is pronounced as “mouse”. It is usually served at Easter along with ham or farmer sausage, but I make it any time the craving hits. I love to eat the two together, as the sweet and salty flavors complement each other perfectly. You can change the fruit to suit your tastes or to match what you have on hand. You can use frozen, home canned, fresh or dried fruit in this recipe. It is very flexible. My grandma used prunes or plums in her moos, and when I was young, they joked about the little cooked mice that you could see in the pot…”see the tails?”. The prunes made it very convincing to a little mind. Now you know one reason that I don’t put them in the pot! Just another note…I like it best made with the water-cornstarch option instead of the milk-flour one. Oh, and don’t forget to put a lot of thick farm cream on top! Mmmm…
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: varies
Ingredients
In any amount desired:
Cherries, pitted
Raisins (1/2-1 c. is generally good)
Prunes/plums, sliced (I don’t like these, so I never include them)
Peaches/apricots, sliced
Pears, sliced
Apples, sliced and peeled (if desired…I rarely put these in)
Water (if using milk…thicken with flour instead of cornstarch)
Sugar to taste
cornstarch to thicken
Directions
Place mixed fruit of choice in a pot. If the fruit is dried, add water now. Cook the fruit until soft, add water if desired, sweeten and thicken with a cornstarch paste. Top with thick cream and serve in a bowl alongside ham or farmer sausage. Serve hot or if desired, cold. You should now have a thick and flavorful fruit moos. Enjoy!
Categories: Breakfast, Desserts, Entertaining, Fat-Free, Fruits, Holiday, Low-Carb, Low-Fat, Low-Sodium, Non-Dairy, Old-Fashioned, Other Breakfast, Other Desserts, Other Soups & Stews, Side Dishes, Soups & Stews, Special Diets, Special Occasions, Vegan, Vegetarian
Tags: Mennonite, Traditional
Submitted by: lauriek on October 9, 2010
Granma2girls says:
Although, I haven’t made this particular recipe, it did bring back memories. Sometimes, on a Sunday, I guess my mom would get hungry for “moos”, and she would make it with assorted, dried fruits. Us kids absolutely loved it and polished it all off from the big Dutch oven she used to make it in. As a youngster, I had a hard time explaining what this dish was to my non-Mennonite friends. Thanks for the memories,LK!
On October 12, 2010 at 6:38 pm
LK says:
You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing your story. I enjoy hearing other’s childhood memories.
On October 13, 2010 at 10:27 am