summer treats – Meghan E White

Lime Icebox Cake

June 27, 2025 meghanewhite

If you love cake like I do but don’t want to turn on the oven during the hot summer months, then an icebox cake will do the trick. What is an icebox cake? It’s a no-bake cake made from layers of cookies and whipped cream. The cookies soften as it sits in the refrigerator overnight creating a cake-like texture. This scrumptious cake tastes a lot like a key lime pie.

Carlota de limón (Mexican lime icebox cake) uses Maria cookies and that’s what I use. Maria cookies are similar to graham crackers. The Mexican version of this cake uses evaporated milk, which you can use. I chose heavy cream. Both are very good. If you cannot find Maria cookies use graham crackers instead.

This easy yet impressive dessert will delight your family and friends.

Happy Eating!

And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Lime Icebox Cake

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

One (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk

One (8 oz.) cup of heavy cream

¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (3 to 4 limes)

1 tsp. lime zest (1 lime)

1 ½ sleeves of Maria cookies (10 oz.)

Optional Garnish:

Whipped cream

Lime zest

Lime slices

Maria cookies

Instructions

Zest 1 or 2 limes to get 1 teaspoon. Juice 3 to 4 limes to get ¼ cup.
Add the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream to a mixing bowl and gently whisk for a minute. Add the lime zest and juice. Whisk for an additional couple of minutes until the mixture is thickened.
Using an 8×8 baking dish pour a small amount of the filling on the bottom. Add a layer of the Maria cookies, breaking them into smaller pieces if needed to fill in.
Pour another layer of the filling, approximately ¼ to ⅓ cup on top of the cookie layer. Continue layering cookies and lime filling until it’s all gone, ending with just the lime mixture on the top. You should have 3 to 4 cookie layers, depending on your preference.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours up to overnight.
Enjoy your delicious icebox cake within a few days.

Notes:

The filling will thicken as you whisk everything together, but it will still be a little runny. It will thicken as it sets up in the fridge.
Use a pie plate, or any baking dish you prefer.
One sleeve of Maria cookies will make 3 layers in an 8×8 pan.

Food, Uncategorized

Banana Ice Cream

July 28, 2023July 28, 2023 meghanewhite

I had several very ripe bananas that I wanted to use up. Another loaf of banana bread wasn’t going to work, since I had two loaves in my freezer. Then the idea popped in my head to make banana ice cream, since I had seen it online. I love trying new things, so I went for it.

My experiment worked beautifully, and really surprised me. Frozen bananas make great ice cream. The texture is like soft serve, sweet, creamy, and delicious. You just need ripe bananas and a food processor, or blender. So simple, yet so refreshing.

The best part about this ice cream is you can add things like chocolate chips, peanut butter, vanilla, or other frozen fruits to make any flavors you wish. This easy one ingredient banana ice cream is the base, and you can create to your hearts desire and your taste buds desire.

Some call this banana nice cream, since it’s not technically ice cream. Call it whatever you like. But definitely give this banana ice cream a try if you’ve got some ripe bananas sitting around. This is a great way to use them. Enjoy!

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Jude 1:2

Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas

Optional:

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 2 teaspoons agave nectar or maple syrup for extra sweetness

Equipment

Food processor or blender

Instructions

Peel and slice ripe bananas into 1 inch pieces. Place sliced bananas in a freezer bag and freeze for at least a couple of hours until frozen solid.
Put the frozen bananas in a food processor or a blender.
Chop or blend banana in short intervals. At first the bananas will be in large chunks until they get crumbly. Scrape down the sides between each pulse of the food processor or blender. After a few minutes the bananas will become smooth and creamy, like soft serve.
Transfer to an air tight container and freeze. You can eat the banana ice cream right away, or freeze it to get it more solid. It’s delicious either way!

Notes

*A food processor works well. I have used my blender, which isn’t very powerful, and it worked fine, it just takes a bit longer.

* One banana is approximately one serving.

*Keep blending until the bananas are smooth and creamy, like soft serve.

* Add in chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruits, peanut butter or anything you like. I’ve made banana ice cream with frozen strawberries and it’s very good. Be creative.

* Use this delicious chocolate topping Homemade Magic Shell

Food

S’mores Bars

June 29, 2022 meghanewhite

I love s’mores. When our kids were little, camping was a summer tradition that included campfires and s’mores. There is something so heavenly about toasted marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. Kuddos to a Girl Scout troop leader, from many years ago, for creating this lovely treat. It’s now a classic.

I have been experimenting with these wonderful bars since last summer. I wanted all the goodness of a s’more without the use of a campfire. After many attempts and tweaks, I feel good about sharing this winning dessert with all of you. It’s so simple, yet full of the perfect amount of sweetness to put a smile on your face.

No fire is required, just the heat of your oven. The Hershey chocolate bar is essential to get that nostalgic taste. Feel free to use chocolate chips if you prefer. Use as much or as little marshmallows. Tweak the toppings to your liking. Bring this to a barbecue or a potluck for a fun treat. To all my s’more loving friends out there, you will love this one. Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

S’mores Bars

Ingredients

3/4 cup salted butter ( 12 tablespoons) softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

2 sleeves of graham crackers ( use 14 for the crust and the remaining 4 crackers for the topping)

6 Hershey chocolate bars (regular size)

10 oz. bag of mini marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment or aluminum foil.
Place 14 graham crackers for the crust in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Break up 4 graham crackers into bigger chunks and save for the topping.
Using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add the egg yolk, and the graham cracker crumbs. Mix until combined. Press the crust mixture evenly into pan.
Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Place 6 Hershey bars on the hot crust. As the chocolate melts use a rubber spatula to spread out evenly.
Sprinkle approximately 1 to 2 cups of the marshmallows on the melted chocolate. Now sprinkle about half of the broken graham cracker crumbs on top. Add another 1/2 to 1 cup of marshmallows on top of that. Now add the remaining graham cracker crumbs.
Change the oven to broil on low. Put the bars under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes depending on how toasted you want the marshmallows. Stay by the oven and watch. Marshmallows can burn quickly. Let cool. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Notes:

Place the warm bars in the fridge to speed up cooling.
Spray a knife with cooking spray for easier cutting.
Store at room temp to keep the marshmallows soft.
Extend the foil or parchment over the edge of the baking dish and then pull the bars out when you are ready to cut.
Use as much or as little marshmallows as you prefer.
If you don’t have a food processor, use a freezer bag and a rolling pin to smash the graham crackers.

Food, mustard seed sentinel

Dole Whip

June 23, 2021June 23, 2021 meghanewhite

The name Dole Whip will be familiar to any Disney fans. Disneyland started serving this fantastic ice cream treat back in 1986 at the Tiki Juice Bar which is part of The Enchanted Tiki Room. The popularity has grown so much over the years it’s now considered an iconic refreshment at the Disney Parks. There’s even Dole Whip merchandise for super fans.

You don’t need to take a vacation to enjoy a Dole Whip. You can make this easy frozen treat at home. All you need is a blender and three simple ingredients. Pineapple juice, frozen pineapple, and vanilla ice cream combine to create a delectable flavorful dessert.

Pineapple soft serve is refreshingly cool and sweet on a hot day, or any day. This version of Dole Whip is absolutely delicious with the same wonderful texture and flavor as the original. Enjoy this delightful frosty treat.

Happy Eating!

For the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Dole Whip

Ingredients

½ cup pineapple juice (4 oz.)

2 cups frozen pineapple chunks (10 oz.)

1 large scoop vanilla ice cream (approximately ¾ cup)

Yield: 2 large servings or 4 small servings

Directions

Put pineapple juice, and frozen pineapple chunks in a blender and pulse for a few minutes to chop the pineapple. Add vanilla ice cream and blend on medium high until combined. Stop every so often and give it a stir and keep blending until everything is smooth and creamy.
Place the finished mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Scoop into bowls and enjoy. If you want the iconic swirl, then use a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe into serving bowls just like soft serve.

Notes

After you fill your piping bag, place it in the freezer for a few minutes before making each serving. It’s very soft ice cream and melts quickly.
You can use fresh cut pineapple. Just freeze it before making the soft serve.

You can find this recipe and all my monthly recipes at Mustard Seed Sentinel, Meghan’s Corner. Mustard Seed Sentinel is an online Christian magazine filled with articles on books, entertainment, and so much more. Subscribe today.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-dole-whip