Star-Spangled Sweets: Red, White, and Blue Berry Desserts for July 4th

This July 4th, salute the grand old flag with a selection of red, white, and blue desserts. With summer in full swing, berry desserts, in the form of cakes, tarts, pies, and more, are a great choice for outdoor parties and barbecues. Build the rest of your Fourth of July party menu with your choice of barbecue ribs, grilled chicken, and fresh vegetable side dishes.

Dish #1:
Fruited Cheescake Flag

Makes 48 squares
Oven Temp: 300

Ingredients:
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
Coarse salt
12 ounce(s) (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) light-brown sugar
2 tablespoon(s) light brown sugar, combined with above
32 ounce(s) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon(s) finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon(s) pure almond extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
6 ounce(s) (1 1/2 cups) blackberries
8 3/4 ounce(s) (2 cups) blueberries
1 pound(s) strawberries (optional), hulled and sliced lengthwise into thirds
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
12 ounce(s) (3 cups) raspberries
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Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Coat parchment with spray.
2. Sift flour and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt into a bowl. Cream butter with a mixer on medium-high speed, occasionally scraping bowl, until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add light-brown sugar, beating until very pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture all at once, and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
3.Transfer dough to sheet. Use a large piece of plastic wrap to press dough into an even layer that covers the bottom of the sheet. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
4. Bake dough until entire surface is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack. Raise oven temperature to 350.
5. In a clean bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed, occasionally scraping bowl, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Scrape bowl, then mix in lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Scrape bowl, then beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. The mixture should be very smooth; scrape bowl as necessary. Pour over crust, and spread into an even layer.
6. Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on rack. Refrigerate until firm and cold, about 4 hours (or overnight).
7. Run a sharp knife along short sides of sheet, and use parchment to lift out cheesecake. Run knife under hot water and dry well. Use it to cut cheesecake into 48 squares, wiping knife clean between cuts.
8. Transfer squares to a serving platter, reforming the rectangle. Decorate top left squares (3 down and 4 across), placing a blackberry in the center of each square and mounding blueberries around it. Using a long offset spatula, slide out 4 squares from bottom row. Top each square with 3 strawberry slices, dust with confectioners' sugar, and return to rectangle. Repeat with remaining 4 squares on bottom row and then squares on alternating rows. Alternatively, omit strawberries and dust alternating rows generously with confectioners' sugar. Place raspberries on every unadorned row, beginning with top row. Serve immediately (or refrigerate overnight).


Dish #2
Vanilla-Raspberry Sundaes with Spoon-Shaped Cookies

Makes 8 sundaes and 60 cookies

Oven Temp: 325

Ingredients:
2 cup(s) sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
4 ounce(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
2 quart(s) vanilla ice cream, softened

2 quart(s) raspberry sorbet, softened
Blueberries, for garnish
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Directions

Make the cookies: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until dough comes together. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out 1 disk of dough to just less than an inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Using a paring knife, cut out spoon shapes, each about 3 inches long. Get the spoon template here.

Transfer to baking sheets. Chill in freezer for 15 minutes. Roll out scraps, and repeat once.

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

Make the sundaes: In 8 small bowls, layer 1/4 cup ice cream, 1/2 cup sorbet, and another 1/4 cup ice cream. Garnish each sundae with blueberries, and serve with 2 or 3 cookie spoons.



For More Tasty Deserts Visit:
http://www.delish.com/