4th of July Dessert Recipes

Directions: Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

Combine the half cup sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and coconut. Stir well and set aside.

Cream butter and gradually add the 1 cup of sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at the time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon half the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle half of the pecan mixture over batter. Repeat with the other half of batter and topped with the last half of the pecan mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until cake tests done.

Cool 5 minutes in pan, then invert cake onto serving plate. Cool.

You can drizzle a simple confectioner's sugar glaze if you like, but it really doesn't need it.

Makes 1 delicious 10-inch Coffee Cake.

1. Wash and dry strawberries. Put sprinkles into a small bowl. Put Candy Melts into a microwave-safe bowl and melt according to package instructions.
2. Dip the strawberries into the chocolate, covering about 2/3 of the berry.

3. Then gently dip the strawberry into the sprinkles and turn to cover the lower 1/3 with blue sprinkles.

Now you have a festive dessert to enjoy!

Preheat oven according to cake package. Spray bundt pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Prepare pound cake batter according to package. Divide batter equally into 3 small bowls. Color one bowl with red food coloring and one with blue food coloring. Stir well and add additional food coloring to reach desired color.

Pour red batter into bundt pan and with a spoon, gently even out the batter.

Next, pour the white batter on top of the red batter.

Finally, pour the blue batter into the white batter.

Bake cake according to package. Cool and remove from pan.

Prepare icing by combining ingredients in a bowl, then dividing evenly into 3 small bowls. Color one red and one blue. Then using a spoon drizzle each color onto the top of the cake.

Add 2/3 cup boiling water to Berry Blue mix in a small bowl. Stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Let cool until mixture starts to thicken.

Spray shot glasses with cooking spray to keep Jello from sticking. Spoon berry Jello into shot glasses (2-3 tsp. in each). Refrigerate 15 minutes until set but not firm.

Meanwhile, sprinkle unflavored gelatin packet over 1/4 cup of the milk in medium bowl, let stand for 5 minutes. Bring remaining 3/4 cup milk to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add sugar and vanilla. Add to milk/gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool 10 minutes.

While milk gelatin mixture is cooling, mix Cherry Jello mix with 2/3 cup boiling water, stir until dissolved and let cool.

Once milk gelatin mixture is cool, add 2-3 tsp. to each shot glass. Refrigerate about 10 minutes. Insert maraschino cherry stem up into white gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 2 minutes. (I had a bit of trouble getting the stems to stay up).

Cover with 2-3 tsp. of cooled Cherry Jello and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Can remove from shot glasses before serving or serve as is.

Note: The timing was a bit tricky on this so don't try to multi-task. If the Jello is added to the glasses while too warm, it will mix with the previous color, if added too late it won't set nicely.

Adult Version:

Reduce boiling water used when making Cherry and Berry Blue Jello to 1/2 cup each. Once the Jello has started to cool add 1/4 cup vodka to each mixture. Don't add vodka with the boiling water or you may boil the alcohol out. Continue as directed.

Note: "Adult" version has significantly less vodka than a traditional jello shot. The kick is in the cherry.

1. Unwrap sandwiches and cut each in half.

   

2. Insert sticks into the cut end of each sandwich.

   

3. Pour sprinkles onto a plate, then tilt the plate to concentrate the sprinkles. Gently press the edges of the sandwiches into the sprinkles.

   

4. Immediately return the sandwiches to the freezer to re-harden. Enjoy!