Star-Spangled Sweets
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The fourth of July brings to mind many memories and traditions.
Whether you picnic, grill or order a pizza; everyone seems to have a special way of celebrating this day.
You would be hard pressed “not” to see people wearing red, white and blue shirts on this day. Or at the very least, something with stars!
You will probably want to end the day by watching a fireworks display.
When my older children, Quinn and Courtney, were young we always went to a parade and grilled out, usually having friends or family over.
When I was a child, you could buy cherry bombs and M-80s at the “dime store”. In looking back - how dangerous. We thought nothing of putting cherry bombs under my uncle’s car or throwing M-80s at each other. I am lucky to be alive! When my kids were little, I would “hover” when they had sparklers!
Any way that you celebrate, remember the traditions in your family and share them with your children. They will certainly be shocked that you even had a life before they were born.
I have always made 4th of July desserts with my children. We started when they were little. We have made flag cakes, trifles, star cookies, etc. We even made dishes with Jell-O. Some of our desserts have been interesting, to say the least. But we have always eaten them and were convinced that they were delicious.
It seems to me that over the years my patriotic recipes have gotten simpler and simpler. This is a good thing as long as there is no compromising in taste.
I generally use raspberries over strawberries only because my husband, Mark, does not like strawberries. My father-in-law had a large strawberry patch in his yard. Mark, his brother and sisters were the ones to pick the strawberries. He probably ate so many that he got sick of them.
This years 4th of July recipe, of course, is red, white and blue and delicious too. It is not difficult to make and well worth the effort.
I wanted to come up with a dessert that was like a cream puff and also like a shortcake, but with a little bit of crispiness. Is that asking too much?
At first, I thought that this would be great with puff pastry. Silly me! I must have totally blocked out the word “puff”. I was making stars and believe me, they were puffy.
Lately, I have been baking with phyllo dough. The first time I cooked with it, I was very intimidated. But I have to admit, I love working with it and use it whenever I can.
I decided that phyllo dough would be the perfect thing to use. I layered about six pieces that were buttered and sugared between each layer.
Remember to keep the phyllo covered with a barely damp towel when you are not using it immediately. It dries out fast.
Once that was done (don’t butter the top layer yet) I used my 3-inch star cookie cutter to cut out 12 to 15 stars. While these were baking, I cut out another batch of stars and then baked those. My last butter and sugared layer was a cut out of 12 3-inch circles. Let these cool before you start assembling the dessert.
Of course, you will want to butter and sugar on the cut out pieces before you bake them.
Use as much or as little sugar as you like. I think that half or even a quarter of a teaspoon is the perfect amount for each layer.
You can bake these the day before you are going to use them. Store them in a lunch bag, being careful not to pack them in there too tightly or lay anything on top.
Prepare the whipped cream. Place a large dollop on top of the circle. Place the berry mixture on top. Place 2 stars on top. Place a dab of whipped cream on the back side of each star to secure it. Place just a small bit of whipped cream on top of that with one of the reserved berries on top.
If you really want to make this dessert “sparkle”, put a sparkler in the top berry. Let it burn out before beginning to eat this dessert.
Be careful when removing this hot stick. Grab it from the bottom where it has not burned.
This is really a special dessert that everyone will love. Don’t be afraid to use the phyllo. It is very forgiving. If a piece tears, it can be easily repaired with a little melted butter.
This dessert is refreshing and tasty and can be eaten with a fork or just pick it up and eat it. These desserts are not huge. One is very satisfying for one person. I like to make extra, though, because there is always someone who would like another one.
You can assemble these 2 or 3 hours before you are going to serve them. Any longer and the phyllo will become soggy. Definitely do not assemble these the day before you want to serve them.
It is great fun to have a special dessert for the 4th of July. After 34 years of marriage, I hope that I will continue to be able to come up with different desserts every year for this holiday. Trust me, you’ll love this one.
It is so good, it is like a fireworks display for your taste buds!
And remember,…a good cook always cleans up!
STAR SPANGLED SWEETS
½ package phyllo dough
3 TB butter or margarine
3 TB sugar, or more
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla
Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a floured surface. Butter and sugar. Repeat with the next 5 or 6 layers. Do not butter and sugar the final layer. Cut out 12 to 15 3-in stars with cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, or until barely tan in color.
Repeat process.
Prepare 6 more butter and sugared layers. Cut out 12 3-inch circles. Butter and sugar cut out pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes.
Let these pieces cool before assembling dessert.
Mix together whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff.
Gently toss berries together. Set aside. Reserve 12 berries for garnishing.
