Fourth of July Dessert Ideas

The Fourth of July, like any holiday, is a great time to gather family, friends, food, and fun to celebrate the anniversary of a special event or concept. The best cooks always try to create a festive feast for the entire crowd, but not everyone knows a recipe for success. So, now I'd like to present two different food ideas for the Fourth of July. The first is very quick and convenient, and it's perfect for the last minute idea. The second takes a bit more time to prepare, but it's well worth the effort.

The quick and convenient recipe is for Fourth of July muffins. You don't need to make them from scratch if time is running out, but be as creative as you want. If you're really in a crunch for time, I recommend getting two packages of muffin mix (one blueberry and one raspberry or strawberry). I recommend the Jiffy Mix muffin mix as a quick, easy, and tasty option, but other brands should work just as nicely. Follow the directions accordingly, and you have red, white, and blue muffins. If you are attending a large gathering, I recommend using the 24-cup muffin pans to make a larger quantity of smaller muffins.

For the second recipe (a vanilla chip fruit tart), you will need a few ingredients that do not necessarily come in a box.

Ingredients for the crust:
¾ cup (or 1 ½ sticks) of softened butter or margarine
½ cup of powdered sugar
1 ½ cup all-purpose flower

Pre-heat the oven to 300^oF. While waiting for the oven to heat up, beat the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth, then blend in the flour. Press the blended mixture onto a 12-inch round pizza pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until LIGHTLY browned. Allow it to cool completely while you make the vanilla filling.

Ingredients for vanilla filling:
1 2/3 cup of vanilla milk chips (recommend brand: Hershey's)
¼ cup of whipping cream
8 oz softened cream cheese

Microwave the vanilla milk chips and whipping cream on high for 1-1 ½ minutes or until chips are fully melted the the mixture is smooth. Then, beat in the softened cream cheese. Now, spread the vanilla filling on the cooled crust. Cover the dish and refrigerate. Then, prepare the fruit topping.

Ingredients for fruit topping:
¼ cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
½ cup of pineapple juice
½ teaspoon of lemon juice
Assorted fresh fruit. For the purpose of this Fourth of July recipe, blueberries and strawberries will be used, but other fruits can be used for other holidays or occasions.

Stir the sugar and cornstarch together in a large saucepan. Next, stir in the juices. Cook over medium heat and stir constantly until the substance thickens. After it thickens, cool the sauce. Remove the crust and filling from the refrigerator and spread the fruit over the filling. Finally, gently pour or brush the juice mixture over the top of the dish.