Whether you eat outside on your patio or balcony, or inside in your usual dining room or kitchen, there are many summery desserts that you can serve your family and your guests.
With fruit being more accessible during the summer months, combining several tropical varieties such as pineapple, orange, mangoes and sliced bananas in a bowl for a topping over vanilla ice cream is an easy and satisfying treat.
How about this one from a Waco, Texas bed and breakfast inn.
Hawaiian Bananas
- 2 bananas, lightly flecked
- Graham crackers, finely crushed
- Milk
- Butter or margarine
Peel bananas, slice once lengthwise, then once crosswise. Dip in milk, then roll in cracker crumbs. Brown slightly in the butter or margarine, and serve warm. Serves one or two, depending on the size of the bananas.
Here’s a dessert salad:
- 1 can tropical fruit, about 2 cups, drained, reserve juice
- 1 small can crushed pineapple
- 1 large banana, sliced thick
- 1 ½ cups coconut
- 1 cup diced apple
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 cups coloured marshmallows
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup cherries, sliced
- Powdered sugar
Add the lemon juice to apple to keep from discolouring and mix all except canned fruit juice and powdered sugar together in large bowl. Add juice and powdered sugar alternately until desired consistency is achieved. Serves 8 to 10.
Try this nice no-cook pudding recipe, using your choice of berries:
- 1 pound of frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
- 2 cups of orange juice
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
Simmer berries and juice over medium heat, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl, adding back to the pot and bring back up to a simmer. Mix the cornstarch with a splash of water and stir into the strained berries until thickened. Pour into 4 serving glasses and chill for at least 1 hour or even overnight.
Top with ½ cup of whipped topping and 2 tbsp of raspberry jelly. Whip together and serve on top of pudding.
Jello with a splash of whipped topping and grated chocolate is always a nice dessert as well. There are so many varieties and you can add numerous different kinds of fruit. If you purchase a couple of molds, you can have a showy finale to your dinner. Here’s an almond and cherry suggestion that requires little preparation time:
- 1 can pitted dark sweet cherries
- Cold water
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 8-serving package of cherry Jello
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 tbsp thawed whipped topping
- 1 tbsp sliced almonds
Drain the cherries, set aside in small bowl while measuring out syrup and adding enough cold water to measure 1 ½ cups in another bowl. Cut cherries in half. Stir boiling water in Jello powder in large bowl until dissolved, then stir in cherry-water mixture and almond extract. Refrigerate 1 ½ hours or until thickened, then stir in cherries. Pour into 5 cup mold sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate another four hours until firm, then unmold on decorative platter and top with whipped topping and almonds just before serving.
Use your imagination to come up with other tasty and attractive summer recipes and you’ll have appreciative guests and family members asking for more!
