Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
"With summer heating up I thought I would share a couple of our favorite summertime recipes," writes Karen Jones.
"The dessert is from the 1950s from my mother-in-law (that has been updated with change of products) and the frozen salad from a friend. Both are longtime favorites."
Lemon Jell-O Cheese Cake
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (3-ounce) box lemon gelatin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup boiling-hot water
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (see note)
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and melted butter and mix well. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the crumb mixture. Press remaining mixture in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake 8 minutes. Let cool.
In a bowl, combine the gelatin with the lemon juice and boiling-hot water. Stir to dissolve. Refrigerate until cooled, but not set.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract with the remaining sugar until smooth.
Fold the cooled gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Then fold in the Cool Whip and lemon zest.
Pour into the prepared crust. Sprinkle with the reserved graham cracker crumbs. Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in freezer.
Variation: Lime Jell-O Cheese Cake, use lime gelatin, lime juice and zest.
"[This is] cool and refreshing on hot summer days."
Frozen Sunshine Salad
6 bananas, diced
1 (15- or 16-ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 (15- or 16-ounce) cans apricots, drained and diced
1 to 2 cups granulated sugar (Jones uses 1 cup)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 (12-ounce) can orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 cups water
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 9-by-13-inch pan or muffin pans lined with cupcake liners. Freeze at least 8 hours.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 07/08/2015