4th of July Desserts

Does anyone have any special desserts or traditional desserts that you make on the 4th of July or for your summer picnics that you might share?



I always do a watermelon boat with assorted fruits and lots of creamy fruit dip. Of course I have to make lots of extra dip as the kids usually like eat it without the fruit! [img]images/smiley_icons/smlylaugh2.gif[/img]

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<font size="2">American Flag Cookies



1 c Margarine

1 Egg white -- whipped

2 ts Pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 c Unbleached flour

1 1/2 c Sugar

1 1/2 ts Baking powder

1 ts Red food coloring

1 ts Blue food coloring

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, combine margarine, egg white, and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix wet ingredients with dry until just moistened.

Divide cookie dough into three equal portions.

Tint 1 portion with the red food coloring; and another portion with the blue food coloring. Mix throughly

Form each portion into long bars.and stack bars on top of each other using alternating colors (red, white, blue).

Wrap finished cookies in waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Cut cookies into 1/4&quot; thick bars. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.</font>

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<font size="2"></font>Red, White 'n' Blue Cookies



<font size="2">1 c Butter, sweet; softened

3 oz Cream cheese; softened

1/2 c Sugar

1 ts Vanilla

2 c Flour

36 sm Blueberries

36 sm Strawberries, ripe; hulled halved

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the cream cheese until well blended. Beat in the sugar and vanilla, then stir in the flour until well mixed.

Using a 1/2 tablespoon measure, shape the mixture into small balls and place 2&quot; apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Make a small dent in the top of each cookie and carefully place a blueberry and a strawberry half, cut side down, in each indentation.

Bake cookies for 12 to 18 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool on racks</font>

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<font size="3">Holiday Rum Balls For the 4th of July</font>



<font size="2">2 tb Cocoa

1 c Confectioners sugar

2 1/2 c Crushed vanilla wafers

1 c Finely chopped pecans

3 tb Light corn syrup

3 tb Rum

2 ts Vanilla extract

1/4 ts Almond extract



granulated sugar for rolling



Sift cocoa and confectioners sugar together; combine with crushed vanilla wafers and pecans.

Add corn syrup, rum, vanilla, and almond extracts.

Roll into 1&quot; balls, and then roll in granulated sugar.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. </font>

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<font size="3">Lemon Firecrackers</font>



<font size="2">2 Sticks butter, room temperature

1/2 c Sugar

1 tb Lemon juice

2 tb Grated lemon peel

1 Egg

2 1/4 c Flour

1 ts Cayenne powder

1/4 ts Salt

1/4 ts Baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, and egg; beat well.

Sift together the flour, cayenne powder, salt, and baking soda.

Beat dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.</font>