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Sweet Patriotic Treats

by Patricia Petro
Wednesday, July 4, 2012 | Filed under entertaining, Fourth of July, holidays, Memorial Day | Comments (0)

Celebrating the Fourth
Show your patriotism—
decorate your table in traditional
red, white, and blue

Fourth of July is a festive holiday in the U.S. commemorating the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

The holiday falls in the midst of summer; and calls for family gatherings with picnics, barbecues, fruity cocktails, fireworks, and relaxed outdoor fun.

So, gather the family . . . get out the grill . . . sit back . . . and celebrate your independence with some sweet treats in patriotic red, white, and blue.

All-American red, white, and blue

Watermelon, Feta, and Blueberry Flag. (Photo: Home Is Where the Boat Is)

An easy-to-make Watermelon, Feta, and Blueberry Flag is a healthy snack . . . and it looks good on the table, too. The soft, creamy cheese is perfect with the sweet, juicy melon and berries.
Use star-shaped melon for an even sweeter presentation. (Photo: Home is Where the Boat Is)

Cookie Cutter Fruit Salad. (Photo: Wit and Whistle)

[above left to right] 1. To create Melon Stars, slice watermelon and use a cookie cutter to shape the stars. Super easy! (Photo: Hip Hip Hooray!) 2. You can put together a colorful Cookie Cutter Fruit Salad, with melon, blueberries and sliced strawberries, 1-2-3 . . . or try the melon stars with blackberries and pineapple chunks for more color. (Photo: Wit and Whistle)

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Independence Day Cupcakes. (Photo: Diary of a Ladybird)

Star-Spangled Pound Cake. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

[left to right] 1. Have fun with cupcakes and fondant by adding patriotic stars and stripes; then arrange your Independence Day Cupcakes to form a flag. (Photo: Diary of a Ladybird) 2. Create Star-Spangled Pound Cake by giving ordinary pound cake the star treatment for any patriotic celebration. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

Pretzel Sparklers. (Photo: Martha Stewart)

These colorful Pretzel Sparklers will dazzle your guests; and, like the real thing, will disappear quickly . . . in a few bites. (Photo: Martha Stewart).

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Stuffed Strawberries. (Photo: Gina Marie's Kitchen)

Strawberries, dipped in chocolate and coated in patriotic color. (Photo: Bright Bold Beautiful)

Strawberries in white chocolate and blue sparkles. (Photo: All Recipes)

[above left to right] 1. Stuffed Strawberries—stuffed with Mascarpone cheese and topped with a blueberry—are a delightful little treat that WILL disappear fast. (Photo: Gina Marie’s Kitchen) 2. Strawberries, dipped in chocolate and drizzled with patriotic color or coated in star sprinkles, are wonderfully decadent. (Photo: Bright Bold Beautiful) 3. For an awesome variation and red-white-blue perfection, dip two-thirds of the strawberry in white chocolate and the bottom with blue sparkles. (Photo: All Recipes)

Fourth of July Cupcake. (Photo: Bakerella)

Add a few red and blue sprinkles (or jimmies) to vanilla cake batter and frosting, and you have a festive Fourth of July Cupcake that could not be easier to make. (Photo: Bakerella)

Stars and Stripes Cake Pops

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Ingredients:

1 box of your favorite cake mix

1 can prepared vanilla frosting

Wilton Candy Melts (Blue)

Wilton Candy Melts (Red)

Wilton Candy Melts (White)

White nonpareils/sprinkles

Waxed paper

Lollipop sticks

Instructions:

Bake cake as directed on package.
When cake is finished, break it into crumbs by hand in a large bowl. Mix in a full can of frosting until well-blended.
Roll cake mixture into 1-inch balls and place on waxed paper.
Melt candy melts as directed.
Dip a lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into white melted candy, and insert the stick into rounded part of cake ball. Repeat for remaining cake balls.
Place cake pops in freezer for about 10 minutes, or in refrigerator for 20 minutes, to firm.
Once cake pops are firm, remove from frig-freezer and dip each into melted chocolate, tapping excess chocolate off. For 15 stars, use blue . . . for stripes, red.
Prop up pops, cake end down on waxed paper while chocolate is still slightly warm, so candy hardens into a flat surface at the top (to help pops stand for serving).
Finish blue pops with white nonpareils before chocolate hardens.
Drizzle melted white candy melts over red pops after chocolate has hardened.
Line pops up on a tray to create the flag.

(Photo: Party City)

Makes 50 pops.

Vanilla Cake with Buttercream, Berries, and Jam. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

A festive layered Vanilla Cake with Buttercream, Berries, and Jam is great for presentation at any Fourth of July party. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

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Red, White, and Blue Independence Day Cake. (Photo: Unusual 2 Tasty)

4th of July Flag Cake. (Photo: Glorious Treats)

Red, White, and Blueberry Poke Cake. (Photo: Taste of Home)

4th of July Fabulous Flag Treats. (Photo: Class Brain)

[Above left to right] 1. This pretty patriotic Independence Day Cake sure gets your attention! Red, white, and blue layers of cake are slathered with marshmallow buttercream frosting and decorated with summer-fresh blueberries and strawberries. (Photo: Unusual 2 Tasty) 2. Opt for simple decorating on the outside, knowing the “wow factor” will be on the inside of this 4th of July Flag Cake.
(Photo: Glorious Treats) 3. For Red, White, and Blueberry Poke Cake, holes in the cake allow syrup in patriotic colors to seep in, creating colorful streaks through the layers. It’s a simple way to add pizzazz to a plain white cake. (Photo: Taste of Home) 4. These 4th of July Fabulous Flag Treats take classic Rice Krispie treats to a whole new level. (Photo: Class Brain)

Red, White, and Blueberry Ice Cream Cake. (Photo: Jenny Steffens)

Red, White, and Blueberry Ice Cream Cake, three layers of strawberry and blueberry soaked cake topped with ice cream and fresh fruit, is truly a red, white,
and blue masterpiece. (Photo: Jenny Steffens)

Celebrating the Fourth
Decorating your table in red, white, and blue

Red, White, and Blue Cookie Bark. (Photo: Love Stitched) Flag Shape Cookies. (Photo: Pillsbury)

[above] Welcome the 4th of July with colorful pre-cut Flag Shape Cookies.
(Photo: Pillsbury)

[right] Red, White, and Blue Cookie Bark, a combination of white chocolate, pretzels, Oreos, and M&Ms is a colorful, festive, sweet and salty treat. (Photo: Love Stitched)

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Red, White, and Blue Parfaits. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

Patriotic Parfaits. (Photo: Martha Stewart)

Red, White, and Blueberry Sundaes. (Photo: Disney Family)

[above left to right] 1. For a sweet treat that doesn’t pack on the pounds, try this
Red, White, and Blue Parfait with layered blueberries, low-fat vanilla yogurt, and strawberries. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens) 2. Two kinds of smooth gelatin—red currant and panna cotta, which is made with cream—are topped with currants and blueberries in these Patriotic Parfaits.
(Photo: Martha Stewart) 3. Show your pride with these Red, White, and Blueberry Sundaes. You can prep the gelatin in advance and finish them off with the whipped cream, meringue, and fresh berries right before serving. (Photo: Disney Family) 4. For a classic Jell-O Firecracker, two layers of bright, berry-flavored gelatin enclose a center layer of creamy vanilla. (Photo: Delish)

Patriotic Berry Trifle. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

Patriotic Berry Trifle—a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries with creamy vanilla and cubed pound cake—makes a simple and delicious dessert.
(Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

Fourth of July Fruit Tart. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)

Star-Spangled Shortcake. (Photo: Martha Stewart)

[Above left to right] 1. Mini star-shape sugar cookies sit atop this Fourth of July Fruit Tart with festive raspberries and blueberries for the ultimate patriotic dessert. (Photo: Better Homes and Gardens)
2. Salute Old Glory while putting a new spin on classic summer fare with this fruity, cream-filled Star-Spangled Shortcake. (Photo: Martha Stewart)

Raspberry-Lemon Pie. (Photo: Traditional Home)

What American celebration is complete without pie? All-American apple is great, but try this delicious deep-dish Raspberry-Lemon Pie for an awesome
change of pace. (Photo: Traditional Home)

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Patricia