It’s sizzling hot outside and the electric supply is unpredictable at best. After a long day of fasting in these circumstances, it’s hard enough to stand at a stove churning out a filling and satisfying meal, much less fidget with the oven to conjure up a tasty dessert. Dates, red sharbat, mango milkshake, fruit chaat, and store-bought jalebi will satisfy that sweet tooth … for a couple of days at least. After that, the sugar craving will kick in and demand full and proper attention with a dessert brimming with the works. However, making desserts that are almost guaranteed to hit the spot need not involve too much work. These no-bake recipes are quick, easy to follow, and most important of all for this time of the year, they will not heat up the kitchen.

Reeses squares

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

3 cups fine sugar

1 cup butter, melted

1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips

Method

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and peanut butter and mix well. Blend in melted butter until well-combined. Press mixture evenly into a pan. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler. Spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill until just set and cut into bars (chilling for too long will make it difficult to cut).

In this sizzling weather, stick to these no-bake treats that come together quickly and are great in taste

Chocolate almond cherry crisps

Ingredients

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

3/4 cup white chocolate chips 

1 1/2 cups oven-toasted rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies) 

3/4 cup dried cherries 

1/3 cup slivered almonds 

1/2 tsp vanilla 

Method

Place semi-sweet and white chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl; microwave at high for 45 seconds. Stir and microwave for additional 45 seconds or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add cereal and the remaining ingredients; stir quickly to combine. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; chill one hour or until firm.

Icebox strawberry shortcake 

Ingredients

3/4 kg fresh, ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and dried

1/4 cup orange juice

1 box (or 400 grams) of digestive biscuits

3 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Set aside seven large strawberries to be sliced. Add remaining strawberries and orange juice to the bowl of food processor. Pulse briefly until berries are broken up but small berry chunks remain. Add cream, sugar, and vanilla extract and whip until soft peaks form. Line the bottom of your pan with graham crackers or digestive biscuits. Cover with half of the strawberry mixture and one third of the cream mixture. Repeat. The top layer of biscuit (the third biscuit layer) will just be covered by whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, thinly slice reserved strawberries and use them to cover the surface of your cake. Serve chilled.

Mango cheesecake

Ingredients

1 package / 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

3/4 cup mango puree

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp unflavoured gelatine

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup crushed digestive biscuits

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup mango puree

Method

Mix 1/3 cup melted butter with one and a half cup crushed digestive biscuits till everything is wet. Press the biscuit butter mix on to the bottom of a cake pan or glass dish with your fingers to form a firm base for the cheesecake. Microwave 1/4 cup water in a microwave safe bowl for one minute or till it boils. Add gelatine to the hot water and mix till it dissolves completely. Add gelatine mix to 3/4 cup of mango puree and set aside.

Blend cream cheese, sugar and milk in a blender till everything is mixed well. Add the mango gelatine mix to the blended mix. Blend for 20 seconds. Pour the mix over the biscuit base. Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for two to four hours or overnight. When the cheesecake is ready to be served, pour 1/4 cup of mango puree over the cake and top with fruit pieces for the final touch. Remember that this cake has the texture of a pudding rather than a firm cheesecake.

Lemon pie

Ingredients

36 vanilla sandwich cookies

3 tbsp butter, very soft

1 box (3.4 ounces) lemon, coconut, or vanilla pudding

1 cup milk

4 cups whipped topping

1 cup lemon curd (jarred or homemade)

Method

Seal 20 cookies in a large plastic bag, and roll with a rolling pin to coarsely crush the cookies. Place cookies and butter in a large bowl. Mix until the butter has been worked through. Flatten loosely in the bottom of a pan. Wipe out your bowl and add pudding mix and milk. Whisk until smooth and let sit for two minutes. Fold in one and a half cups of whipped topping. Carefully spread over cookies in the pan. Crush the remaining cookies and sprinkle half of it over the pudding.

Reserve the rest for the topping. Mix lemon curd gently with one cup of whipped topping. Spread over pudding. Spread remaining whipped topping over the curd mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cookies. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least eight hours before serving.