Homemade Treats to Make in the Summer

Lemon Bars 

There is nothing better than a cold, sweet, and tangy lemon bar in the Summer. Lemon bars are a dessert with a buttery shortbread crust and a zesty lemon filling. To make lemon bars you will need eight ingredients and about an hour of free time. 

 First, gather up the eight ingredients: 

• 12 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter 
• 3 Cups of Sugar 
• 8 Eggs 
• ⅔ Cup Powdered Sugar 
• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour 
• 1 Cup Lemon Juice 
• 3 Tablespoons of Lemon Zest 
• ½ Teaspoon of Salt 

Heat the oven to 350F and begin mixing your ingredients. Combine 2 ½ cups of flour with powdered sugar, salt, and melted butter. This will be your crust. 

Spread your crust on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Put it in the oven for around 20 minutes. It should not look all the way done when you take it back out. 

For the filling, mix sugar and lemon zest. Once combined, add in the last of the flour and blend the ingredients. Then, put in the eggs and lemon juice. 

Pour the filling over the half-baked crust and put it back in the oven for around 20 to 30 minutes. 

Let them cool for about 30 minutes and transfer them to the refrigerator for an hour. 

Sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve immediately. 

Ice Cream 

Did you know you can make homemade ice cream in a bag? This is a great way to get your guests involved and kids love it! To make homemade ice cream you will need five ingredients, a big and small plastic bag, and 20 minutes. 

The five ingredients you need are: 

• 1 Cup of Half and Half Cream 
• ½ Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract 
• 3 Cups of Ice 
• ⅓ Cup of Rock Salt 
• 2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar    

In the small plastic bag add the sugar, vanilla extract, and half and half. Seal tightly. 

In the large plastic bag, incorporate the ice and rock salt. 

Put the small bag inside the large bag and shake it up for around ten minutes. 

Once it has been shaken up, the ingredients should turn into ice cream and you are ready to enjoy it! 

Key Lime Pie 

Key lime pie is a summer favorite. The chilled filling, graham cracker crust, and tart limes make it the perfect dessert to serve at any outdoor party. To make this sweet, you will only need about thirty minutes and ten ingredients. 

To make a traditional key lime pie, you need to make a crust, filling, and whipped cream topping. The whipped topping is optional but will make the pie look more aesthetically pleasing. 

For the crust, you will need: 

• 1 ½ Graham Cracker Crumbs 
• 6 Tablespoons of Melted Butter 
• ⅓ Cup of Granulated Sugar 

For the filling, you will need: 

• The Zest of Four Key Limes 
• 28 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk 
• ¾ Cup of Key Lime Juice 
• ½ Cup Light Sour Cream 

For the optional whipped cream topping, you will need: 

• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
• ½ Cup of Powdered Sugar 
• 1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream 

Instructions for the Crust 

Heat your oven to 375F and mix the three ingredients until combined. Spread the dough in the bottom of a pie pan and put it in the oven for around 8 minutes. 

Instructions for the Filling 

Turn down your oven to 350F. Mix your four ingredients. Pour the mixture over your crust and put it in the oven for around 10 minutes. Once out of the oven and cooled off, put it in the refrigerator for three hours. 

Instructions for Whipped Cream 

Whisk together the sugar and heavy whipping cream until the mixture thickens. Add in the vanilla extract for flavoring and add to the top of the chilled pie. 

Once all instructions have been followed, you can enjoy a delicious key lime pie! 

Strawberry Shortcake 

If you want to keep your dessert simple, a strawberry shortcake is easy to make and is a very popular treat. All you will need is strawberries, whipped cream, and biscuits! 

First, you will want to chop up seven cups of strawberries. Mix these strawberries with ¼ cup of sugar then set aside. 

For the whipped cream, whisk together 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with two tablespoons of sugar until thick. Add a dash of vanilla and your whipped cream is done! 

To make the biscuits, turn your oven on 400F and gather the following ingredients: 

• ¼ Cup of Sugar 
• 4 Teaspoons of Baking Powder 
• ½ Teaspoon of Baking Soda 
• 1 teaspoon of Salt 
• 1 Cup of Buttermilk 
• ¾ Cup of Unsalted Butter 
• 2 Tablespoons of Heavy Cream 

Add together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Blend in the butter until a rough dough forms. Pour in buttermilk to make the dough sticky. Transfer it to a floured surface and roll it out until it is about ¾ inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-inch circles and lay on a cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle the heavy cream on top and bake for around twenty minutes. 

Once the biscuits cool, you can assemble the strawberries and whipped cream on them and they are ready to serve! 

If you are looking into making a tasty treat this summer, here are all the instructions you will need to make some lemon bars, ice cream, key lime pie, or strawberry shortcake! Enjoy!