Chill Out With These Summertime Sweets

By: Sarah

 

Boy, oh boy, we are in the final stretch of summer, and as the weatherman always says, there is plenty of hot 100 degrees weather and summer lovin’ over the next few weeks. So let’s just chill, keep ourselves cool and enjoy some easy sweet treats perfect while enjoying the lazy summer days and soaking up the sun. I have a bunch of my favorite homemade sweet treats that would keep the sunny vibes going. Even when days turn extremely hot I still want and love to bake (of course I bake less during summer), there’s nothin’ better than homemade goodness and they’re worth turning the oven on. Tres Leches Sponge Cake and Awesome Banana Muffins are my favorite sweet treats to escape the heat and cool down with in the summertime — super easy, delicious, and fun to make. And also my cold, bakeless, and refreshing Mango Buco Jello round up my summertime sweets that all would be perfect for any memorable summertime gathering and celebration. Let’s dive in!

MANGO BUCO JELLO

Summer time is mango time. And I found a box of ripe yellow mangoes on sale. Make this refreshing tropical delight, it’s yummy and comforting — and will always give a smile on anyone’s face.

For Jello Cubes:
2 boxes (25 grams each) buco-pandan flavored jelly powder
4 cups water (use 5 cups if you want a less firm jelly)
1/3 cup white sugar (adjust to taste)
For mango buco jello:
1 kg ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced into cubes
1 can coconut meat, drained
Jello cubes
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cans evaporated milk
1 can nestle cream
1 teaspoon mango extract (optional)

In a small pot, combine jelly powder, sugar and water. Turn on the heat and bring mixture to boil, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the mixture in two 8 inch square pans. Cool for 30 minutes, then cover with a cling wrap and let it set in the refrigerator overnight. Cut into cubes. You can also use unflavored green jelly powder and mix in 1 teaspoon pandan flavor extract. Or even fresh pandan leaves —tie into a knot and add into the pot of water together with the jelly powder and sugar.

In a large bowl, combine sliced mangoes, pandan jello cubes and coconut meat. Add evaporated milk and condensed milk. Gently toss until well combined. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

AWESOME BANANA MUFFINS

Always use (never throw them away) overripe bananas with plenty of black specks (and I even took a snapshot of these bananas I used for this recipe.

5 over-ripe bananas, peeled and mashed with fork
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rum (I used Brugal anejo rum) 1/2 cup sour cream
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F. Insert paper liners into 14 – 16 Texan muffin pan holes. In a large mixing bowl, beat together margarine and sugars with electric mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in mashed bananas, vanilla, oil, rum and sour cream.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add to banana mixture; mix well. Stir in shredded coconut. Fill each prepared muffin cup with about 1/2 cup of the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Tres Leches Sponge Cake
Sponge Cake
1  and 1/2 cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powderWhisk together the three milks and the rum or brandy if you are using it. While the cake is in the pan, poke holes all over the cake using fork. Slowly pour the liquid over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for three hours, or overnight if possible. Frost with cool whip and garnish top with chopped maraschino cherries. Last words: “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Just do it! Make sure to visit again my page next month for “back-to-school” easy and minimal stress recipes. Meantime, let’s soak up more sun as we say farewell to Summer of 24.
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs, separated 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/3 cup cold water 2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond flavoring

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set them aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set them aside. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until they’re pale yellow, thick and fluffy. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and continue beating until the mixture falls from the beaters in ribbons. Add the 1/3 cup cold water and flavorings to the egg yolk mixture, then stir in the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.

Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spoon the batter into the pan, and level it with a spatula. Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 28 to 30 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes Tres Leches Soaking Mix:

3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk 1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon rum or brandy or
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together the three milks and the rum or brandy if you are using it. While the cake is in the pan, poke holes all over the cake using fork. Slowly pour the liquid over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for three hours, or overnight if possible. Frost with cool whip and garnish top with chopped maraschino cherries. Last words: “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Just do it! Make sure to visit again my page next month for “back-to-school” easy and minimal stress recipes. Meantime, let’s soak up more sun as we say farewell to Summer of 24.