Looking for new ways to get your five servings of fruits and vegetables this summer? Tired of slicing and dicing and still coming up with the same salads that are found on every picnic table across the country? Then try these fruit and veggie dessert recipes. They are crowd pleasers that you can make straight from your own home garden!
Sweet Apple Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 cup melted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups apples (peeled and diced)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon flour
Directions: Beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Mix together 2 cups flour, salt and baking soda. Add gradually to butter/sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in apples. Mix walnuts and 1 tablespoon flour; stir into batter.
Pour entire mixture into a greased and floured cake pan (13” x 9” x 2”). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Mandarin Orange Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 yellow or white cake mix
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup oil
- 1 large can of non-drained mandarin oranges
Directions: Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased and floured 13”x9”x2” cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool. Frost top of cake (using recipe below).
Frosting Directions: Mix together 12 ounces whipped cream, 1 large can of non-drained, crushed pineapples and 1 package of instant vanilla pudding. Chill for 15 minutes.
Raspberry Pudding
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 beaten egg
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 ½ cups floured fresh raspberries (1 tablespoon flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions: Cream together butter and sugar. Add all other ingredients except berries. Mix well. Stir berries by hand into mixture. Bake in a shallow ceramic dish for 30 minutes. Serve warm with sauce (recipe below).
Sauce Directions: Cream 1/3 cup butter and 1 cup confectioner’s sugar. Mix in 1 stiffly beaten egg white. Stir in 1 cup fresh, mashed raspberries.
Really Rhubarb Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups washed, diced rhubarb
Directions: Cream together sugar and butter. Add salt, vanilla, cinnamon and buttermilk, blending until smooth. Mix together flour and baking soda and add to mixture. Add rhubarb and mix until blended. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13”x9”x2” baking pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
Break out of the JELL-O mold this summer and delight your family and friends with these easy to prepare, fruit and veggie-based desserts. They’re sure to complement – and win you compliments on – your summer picnics!
