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Top 5 Fast or Unique Desserts
by Alice Osborne
TV re-runs, garden salad meal after meal, temperatures in the high 90’s day after day…yup, it’s deep into and almost the end of summer all right. Time for a change, don’t you think? And what better way to toss a bit of spizzazz into a long hot day than with a quick but yummy and unique dessert!
Rifling through my inheritance of Aunt Annie’s cookbooks, I found a page ripped out of a 1945 Spokesman Review newspaper. I could see why Aunt Annie saved this article.
“Top 5 Fast or Unique Desserts” is something I’d save too. I’ve since seen these recipes or variations of them on various websites and in other cookbooks, which speaks well for them. But to go back in time, here are Spokane, Washington’s post-WWII favorites:
Frozen Angel Food Cake Dessert
 1 package lemon Jello
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate (6 oz. can)
1 pint whipping cream, whipped and sweetened
1 prepared angel food cake (large)
Container: 9- x 12-inch pan
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Mix the Jello, sugar, and boiling water; then add the orange juice concentrate. Don't add any additional water. Let this mixture sit until jelled.
After the orange juice mixture has thickened and jelled, stir in whipped cream.
Break up 1 large angel food cake in pieces about the size of a large marshmallow. Don't cut the cake; tearing works better.
Fold the cake pieces into the orange juice mixture until all of the cake pieces are coated, but don't over-mix.
Spread into a 9- x 12-inch pan and freeze.
 Download this recipe.
Graham Cracker Bars
Makes 25 bars
 3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Combine butter, sugar, and eggs in a medium saucepan. Cook to a rolling boil, remove from heat and allow to cool.
When mixture has cooled, add the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, vanilla, and marshmallows. Stir until ingredients are well mixed.
Press into a 9" x 9" or 7" x 10" pan. Cut into small squares and serve.
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes
Download this recipe.
Root Beer Float Cookies
 Cookie Dough
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons root beer extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons half and half
2 teaspoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon root beer extract
Cookie Dough:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, butter, milk, eggs, root beer extract, and vanilla; mix until well blended.
Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat until a soft dough forms.
Drop dough in 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon-size balls onto prepared cookie sheet. Place the dough balls approximately 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are just turning brown.
Cool completely.
Frosting:
In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, half and half, butter, and root beer extract; mix until smooth.
Frost each cookie. Make sure the frosting is set before storing the cookies in an airtight container.
Download this recipe.
Fresh Raspberry Pie
 1 quart fresh raspberries
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons instant tapioca
4 tablespoons water
2 9" refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg white
3 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Mix together raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, and water in large bowl.
Line a 9" pie plate with 1 pie crust. Brush crust with slightly beaten egg white (reserve some beaten egg white to brush top crust).
Spoon raspberry mixture into bottom crust. Dot raspberry mixture with butter (see TIP). Top with remaining crust, crimping top and bottom crust together. Cut 4-6 slits in top crust to allow steam to escape while baking.
Bake at 425º F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º F and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Cover edges of pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent over browning.
TIP: To dot with butter, grate cold butter on a cheese grater and sprinkle grated butter over pie filling.
Download this recipe.
Strawberry or Rasberry Pretzel Pan
 1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups pretzels, coarsely crushed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 ounces whipped topping
2 packages raspberry or strawberry Jello (3.5 ounces each)
2 cups hot water
10 ounces raspberries or strawberries, frozen
Mix pretzels, melted butter and 1/2 cup sugar.
Press into pan and place in a 350° F. preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
Mix cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Fold in whipped topping.
Spread on top of pretzel crust. Refrigerate.
Combine Jello with hot water. Stir until dissolved.
Fold in frozen raspberries.
Pour over cooled cream cheese mixture.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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