Fruit trees are favorites of many Arbor Day tree giveaway recipients, with a variety of fruit trees being distributed across the state. We offer you a small selection of recipes to provide you with ideas for using locally available fruits and nuts.

Easy and Moist Lemon Bundt Cake

Cake:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup yogurt or 1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Sift flour with salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar, vanilla, eggs, yogurt, and lemon zest. Stir in flour mixture and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until done. Cool slightly and invert onto serving plate. Prepare glaze by mixing sugar and juice together in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze evenly over top of cake. Recipe makes 10 servings.

Chocolate Delight

Bottom Layer (crust):
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal or crumbs. Gently mix in nuts and then gently press mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool.

Second Layer:
1 package (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed

Mix softened cream cheese with sugar. Stir in whipped topping. Spread mixture over crust; chill.

Third Layer:
3 boxes (4 serving size) instant chocolate pudding
4 cups skim milk

Mix together pudding and milk until thickened. Spread over cream cheese layer; chill.

Top Layer:
1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed
Chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts for garnish (optional)
Cocoa powder for garnish (optional)

Spread whipped topping over pudding. Sprinkle nuts and cocoa over top; chill. Recipe makes 20 servings.

Pomegranate

Pomegranates can be enjoyed as a fresh fruit, sprinkled on a fruit salad or on a mixed greens salad, squeezed into juice, or used in cooking.

Coconut Milk

2 cups boiling water
4 cups grated fresh coconut

Pour 2 cups boiling water over 4 cups grated fresh coconut. Let stand 20 minutes. Strain through poi cloth or a double thickness of cheese cloth, pressing to remove all liquid. Coconut milk should be stored in the refrigerator. Recipe makes 2 cups.

Coconut-Pineapple Cream Cake

1 package (18.5 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup coconut milk
1 package (3 3/4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding
1 can (1 pound, 4 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 container (13 1/2 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Preheat electric oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling on rack. In small bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese with coconut milk and pudding; spread over cooled cake. Spoon drained pineapple over pudding mixture, then cover with whipped topping. Sprinkle with coconut. Chill before serving. Recipe makes 20 servings.

Grilled Figs with Bacon

6 slices bacon
12 fresh figs
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Cook the bacon until lightly brown but not crisp. Cut each bacon slice in half; wrap each half around a fig and secure with a toothpick.  Grill until figs are tender. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving.  Recipe makes 6 servings.

Pansit

8 ounces long rice
4 large dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 pound lean pork
1/4 pound shrimp
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 tablespoons patis (Filipino fish sauce)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces fried egg noodles
Lemon wedges or calamansi (calamondin) halves

Soak long rice and mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes; drain. Cut long rice in 3-inch lengths. Remove stems from mushrooms; dice caps. Slice pork thinly. Shell, clean, and cut shrimp into small pieces. In a skillet, heat oil; sauté garlic and brown pork. Stir in shrimp and mushrooms; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, patis, and pepper; bring to a boil. Add long rice and noodles, stirring lightly until noodles are heated. Serve with lemon wedges or calamansi halves. Recipe makes 6 servings. 

Prune-Apricot Mui

(A Chinese preserved fruit recipe)
5 pounds dried pitted prunes
1 1/2 pounds dried apricots
1/2 pound dried lemon peel, cut into pieces
1/2 pound li hing mui (Chinese dried preserved plums)
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
3 tablespoons whiskey
3 tablespoons Hawaiian salt
1 tablespoon five spice powder
10 whole cloves

In a large bowl, combine prunes, apricots, lemon peel, and li hing mui. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over fruits, mixing thoroughly. Let stand 2 days before serving. Recipe makes 1 gallon.

Recipes are courtesy of Hawaiian Electric Company.