FIRECRACKER SUGAR COOKIES
With 4th of July coming up, no doubt you are planning a fun celebration. And what is a party without some firecrackers??!
Source: Trisha - MomDot.com
Ingredients:
- your favorite sugar cookie recipe
- butter cream or white frosting
- 2 packs of pop rocks
- white sugar + blue gel paste
- Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe
- Frost with butter cream
- Create blue sugar by adding sugar and blue gel paste into a blender and turn on for 30 seconds
- Sprinkle sugar on frosting
- Sprinkle pop rocks on cookies…you will hear them crackle as they hit the frosting
- The kids will bite in and they will “explode” in their mouths like a firecracker!
OVERNIGHT COCONUT-ALMOND FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
Overnight French Toast
Impress your family with this flavorful Overnight Coconut-Almond French Toast Casserole!
Source: Melanie - Garnishandglaze.com
Ingredients - For the Toast:
- 1 loaf (9 slices) artisan French bread (the kind that has a hard crusty outside)
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 3½ cups half-and-half
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Ingredients - For the Topping:
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes (divided)
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (divided)
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ stick butter, melted
Ingredients - For the Garnish:
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh berries
- Raspberry sauce (recipe below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with butter.
- Slice French bread into thick 1 inch slices (you only need 9). Lay the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes on each side to dry out the bread.
- In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Beat in the eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla.
- Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and then arrange staggered in pan like shingles. Pour the remaining mixture into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (at least 6 hours).
Instructions - For the Topping:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a blender or food processor, puree ½ cup coconut, ⅓ cup almonds, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spread the paste over the soaked bread. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut and 2 tablespoons almonds over the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes and then allow the casserole to cool for 40 minutes to an hour before serving.
- Garnish with powdered sugar, fresh berries, and raspberry sauce. (You can also top with whipped cream or syrup.)
THE RASPBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package frozen raspberries
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- Add all sauce ingredients to a small pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer and into a bowl to remove the seeds. You will have to push the sauce around with a spatula to help it through. You will be left with a thick paste of seeds that you can discard. Cover the strained sauce and refrigerate.
PATRIOTIC PUNCH
Patriotic Punch
What could be more cute then a layered punch on the 4th of July. These are super simple and easy to make, and look and taste amazing!
Source: Holly - Spendwithpennies.com
Ingredients
- Cranberry Juice (e.g. Oceanspray)
- Blue Sports Drink (e.g. Gatorade's G2 Blueberry Pomegranate)
- 7-Up
- 1 bag of crushed ice (if your refrigerator doesn't make crushed ice)
Instructions
- Fill up a glass beverage server or glass almost to the top with ice cubes
- Pour cranberry juice in until it fills about ⅓ of the container.
- Note: Each time you add a new drink color, the ice will melt down a little, so you'll need to add additional ice cubes to fill the container back up.
- Add the blueberry-pomegranate Gatorade, again filling up about ⅓ more of the glass or container. As you add the blue beverage, pour it slowly and directly on top of an ice cube so the ice cube will slow it down even further.
- Add additional ice to replace what melts but this time add crushed ice instead of ice cubes. The density of the crushed ice helps keep the 7-up from blending in to the blue and adds to the "whitish" appearance.
- Finally, add 7-Up, filling up the glass/container to the top.
- Garnish with a flag toothpick with strawberries and blueberries attached.
Bonus Note:
This recipe is probably best created in individual glasses as opposed to a large, glass beverage server. That way all the flavors can be sampled and enjoyed at once instead of one at the time coming from a beverage server.
INDEPENDENCE DAY POPCORN
Independence Day Popcorn
Another festive recipe for your Fourth of July Red, White and Blue Candied Popcorn (or Red and White for you Canadians)! Super easy and delicious and a fun way to celebrate your Nation.
Source: Amy - TheIdeaRoom.net
Ingredients- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 6 cup popcorn (popped)
- Few drops of food coloring (optional- if you want different colors split recipe in half)
- Boil sugar, salt and water to 235 degrees (soft ball stage).
- Remove from heat.
- Add vanilla. Pour over popped popcorn and stir until glaze sugars.
- Pour candy over popcorn that has been placed in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix the candy over the popcorn so that it is evenly spread out. Let cool and serve.
EASY OVEN-BAKED CHEESEBURGER SLIDERS
Summer is officially here, and what better warm snack to feel all festive for this forth of July, then some cheeseburger sliders!
Source: Kristina - betterrecipes.com
Ingredients
- 2 pounds, 93% lean ground sirloin
- 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (12-count) Kings Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls (or slider buns)
- 6 slices cheddar or American cheese