July 3rd, 2012 
Summer equals cookouts, barbecues, parties and more parties. Now-a-days, every time you turn around you need a delicious crowd-pleasing dessert recipe for your celebration. Our team has discovered and tested three patriotic recipes that will make you the star of the show.
Star Spangled Fruit Tart
Star Spangled Pie (Photo Credit and Recipe: Taste of Home)
- 1 tube (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 cup halved fresh strawberries
- Press cookie dough onto an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and extract until smooth. Spread over crust. In center of tart, arrange berries in the shape of a star; add a berry border. Refrigerate until serving.
Yield: 16 servings.
Nutritional Facts: 1 slice equals 213 calories, 12 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 177 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.
Patriotic Ice Cream Cupcakes
Patriotic Cupcakes (Photo Credit and Recipe: Taste of Home)
- 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) red velvet cake mix
- 1 quart blue moon ice cream, softened
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1-1/2 cups marshmallow creme
- Red, white and blue sprinkles
- Blue colored sugar
- Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions for cupcakes.
- Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 350° for 11-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
- Working quickly, spread ice cream over cupcakes. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
- In a large bowl, combine cream and marshmallow creme; beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe over cupcakes; decorate with sprinkles and colored sugar. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm.
Yield: 3 dozen.
Editor’s Note: As a substitute for blue moon ice cream, tint softened vanilla ice cream with blue food coloring.
Star Studded Blueberry Pie
Star-Studded Fourth of July Pie (Photo Credit Taste of Home)
- 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and salt; toss gently. Let stand for 15 minutes. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; add filling. Dot with butter; flute edges.
- Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
- From remaining pastry, cut out 15 large stars with a 2-in. cookie cutter and 15 small stars with a 1/2-in. cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Randomly place stars over cooled pie.
Yield: 8 servings.
Nutritional Facts: 1 piece equals 424 calories, 17 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 304 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein.
