A ‘yummy’ snack and dessert ideas from the alley

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

As we turn our thoughts to summer, I can’t help but remember the cross-country road trips my family took when I was a kid. My mom always had something good for us to snack on in the back seat — fruit, trail mix, peanut butter sandwiches.

This recipe from Anita Rowe sounds like it would make a great snack — hitting all the salty, crunchy and sweet notes — for munching on while watching movies in the backyard, camping or a family road trip.

“This recipe makes a bunch so there’s plenty to share,” Rowe writes.

Yummy Stuff

1 box of rice or corn Chex (or

your preferred cereal)

½ bag of pretzel sticks

½ pound peanut M&M’s

½ large bag of Bugles snacks

2 cups cashews or peanuts

½ pound plain M&M’s

1 package white almond bark or Ghiradelli melting wafers

Mix everything except almond bark. Melt almond bark in microwave for approximately 3 minutes, stirring every 60 seconds. Pour almond bark over mixture and stir well then allow mixture to dry for 1 hour. Store in tightly sealed container.

Rowe also shares this banana bread.

Coconut Banana Bread

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

(2 medium)

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup flaked coconut

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

½ cup chopped maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, bananas, butter, coconut and extract. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the nuts and cherries.

Transfer to a greased and floured 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes (watch carefully since oven temperatures vary) or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Can be baked in small loaf pans for shorter time periods if desired.

This cake recipe was one of many sent in by Linda Brown. It was clipped from mymagazine.us, a publication from Kroger.

With a pound of fresh strawberries, the time is ripe for making this sugar-crusted cake.

French Strawberry Cake

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ cups sugar, divided use

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 pound strawberries, trimmed and quartered

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Fold in the strawberries using a flexible spatula.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly in the pan. Smooth the top with a flexible spatula. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup sugar on top. Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before removing cake from pan. To remove, invert onto a plate, then flip back onto a cake stand or serving platter. Use a serrated knife to cut into pieces. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.