by Zyania Garcia Hernández

As the days get warmer and the plants start to open up, you should open up to new snacks! Here are a few recipes that would go well with the warm weather. 

Dirt Cups

Ingredients:

• Oreos

• Milk

• Instant chocolate pudding mix 

• Whipped topping

• Gummy worms

Recommended: 6 or 9 ounce clear plastic cups.

Directions:

First, crush up the desired amount of Oreo cookies. This can be done by placing the cookies in a resealable plastic bag which you can crush up with a rolling pin or one's hands. Whisk together the boxes of instant pudding and milk in a large bowl that will sit in 5 minutes. Add the whipped topping on top. 

Scoop up some of the pudding mix into the cup. This should fill about ⅓ of the cup. Sprinkle some of the Oreo crumbs, repeating the layers until the cup is nearly full. Top off with gummy worms and place into the refrigerator in order to keep fresh. 

Popsicles

Ingredients:

• Molds

• Fruit juice or puree

• OPTIONAL ~ Orange, grape and lemon juices tend to melt slower

• Fruit pieces

Directions:

Cut up the fruit pieces into bite-sized pieces and put aside. Depending on the mold, the fruit puree/juice should fill the molds around ⅓-½. Place the chopped fruit into the popsicle mold and freeze at least 4-6 hours overnight. 

Strawberries and cream

Ingredients:

• Strawberries

• Condensed milk

• Sour cream

• Sugar

• Vanilla

• Whipped cream

• Evaporated milk

Directions:

After washing up the strawberries cut them up in ½ or ¼ pieces. In a bowl, mix up the condensed milk, sour cream, vanilla and sugar. Be careful when adding the evaporated milk into the cream. It will cause the mixture to be gooey. Add the strawberries into the cream and stir well without smushing them. Serve the dish with whipped cream on top. 

Carrot Cake

Ingredients for cake:

• 2 cups plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 2 tsp cinnamon powder

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 3 eggs slightly whisked

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups grated carrots

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Ingredients for buttercream

• 168 g cream cheese

• 112 g unsalted butter

• 285 g icing sugar

• ¾ tsp vanilla extract

• ¾ tbsp lemon juice

• OPTIONAL ~ ½ cup walnut topping

Directions:

In a large bowl with a strainer over, add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder and nutmeg. Set aside and reach for another bowl. Then add the brown sugar,  vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Gradually add to the first mixture, whisking them together then placing the grated carrot and chopped walnuts. Pour the mixture evenly into two 2 x 24 cm round pans. Bake at 284° Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. After the cakes cool down completely, cut the dome tops. Mix up the cream with the cream cheese, unsalted butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a mixer. Smooth on ⅓ of the buttercream on one of the cakes, placing the second on top and covering it with the rest of the buttercream. Decorate with walnuts.

Lemon Tarts

Ingredients:

• Pillsbury Pie crusts

• Lemon curd

• Muffin tray

• Cookie cutter

Directions:

Placing the pie crust on a flat surface, use the cookie cutter to form the tarts. Put the cut out shapes onto the muffin tray and pour the lemon curd in the middle. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top to sweeten. 

Happy baking!