Although we know it for being our independence day, the 4th of July is also known for its backyard barbecues including an array of sweet and savory dishes to share with friends and family. Instead of spending your quarantine bored and inside, use this time to get creative in the kitchen to impress your guests. These dishes have simple ingredients and some even repeated so you can spend the least amount of time at the store as possible to promote social distancing. Let’s get started!
- Patriotic Pound Cake
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of strawberries
- 1-1⅓ cups of blueberries
- 1 package of frozen prepared pound cake, cut to fit a 13×9 inch dish
- 1 tub of COOL WHIP or Vanilla Frosting
Directions:
- Start by thawing the pound cake a few hours before you want to begin cutting and preparing the dish
- Place slices of pound cake in the bottom of the 13×9 inch dish, covering every inch for maximum deliciousness
- Cover the top of the cake with COOL WHIP or Vanilla Frosting (whichever you prefer)
- Align the strawberries and strawberries to resemble the American flag using the strawberries as stripes and blueberries as stars
- Chill until your guests arrive and then serve!
2. Savory and Sweet Independence
Ingredients:
- 2 serving cups of strawberries (Approx. 16 strawberries)
- Half a serving cup of blueberries (Approx. 39 blueberries)
- A container of fresh mozzarella balls
- Optional ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
- Festive skewers
Directions:
- Begin by washing the strawberries then cutting off the tops and slicing them to make halves
- Prepare the blueberries by washing them and putting them into a bowl
- Prepare the mozzarella balls by draining them from the water in the container they came in
- Use the skewers to make a pattern of red, white, and blue. Start with the blueberry first and slide it up as you add the mozzarella then the strawberry.
- Add the strawberry last with the flat side on the plate for better presentation
- You can finish the skewers off with a balsamic drizzle if desired but it is not required for this delicious appetizer
3. Star-Spangled Sprinkes
Ingredients:
- Any sugar cookie premade dough can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. EX. Pillsbury Sugar Cookie mix
- Red White and Blue Sprinkles
- Vanilla Frosting
- Blue and Red food coloring
Directions:
- Follow instructions to make the premade sugar cookies ex. Preheat oven
- Individually roll small balls of dough about the size of a golf ball
- Place on the cookie sheet and bake for instructed time
- Use cook time to separate vanilla frosting into three bowls
- Use food coloring to dye one bowl of frosting blue, one red and leave one plain for the white
- Use about 3-4 drops of food coloring or to desired color intensity
- Once the cookies are done baking and are cooled off, begin to place either of the three colored frostings on the flat part of half of the cookies that were baked
- Once the entirety of the frosted cookies’ flat halves is covered, use the remaining unfrosted cookies’ flat halves to create a sandwich. Make sure the frosting is thick and at least 1-2 inches thick so you can see it in between the cookies.
- Pour out the sprinkles on a flat plate or surface and roll the circumference of the cookie sandwich in the sprinkles
- The sprinkles should stick to the frosting peeking out on the sides, if it doesn’t, add more frosting to the middle
- Place in the refrigerator to avoid melting until served
Use these quick and festive appetizers to spruce up your Fourth of July fun!
