The Fourth of July offers an annual recipe for festivity and celebration in the United States. Americans gather on July 4th to celebrate the nation’s Independence Day. Families and friends join one another on the Fourth of July for great food, fellowship, fun and fireworks.
Of course, many an American has been known for having a sweet tooth, particularly at parties. What delicious Fourth of July desserts and treats can you prepare and share at your all-American Independence Day barbecue, picnic or potluck?
Following are a few of our favorite Fourth of July desserts and treats, sure to make guests march to the all-American holiday picnic table. After all, in the land of the free, everyone is welcome to second helpings of desserts and treats.
Parade Cookies
True old-school patriots may decide to whip up sweet sugar cookies from scratch for Fourth of July desserts and treats. For busier folks, a simpler solution is offered. (Try not to tell anyone at your Fourth of July celebration barbecue, picnic or potluck how easy these all-American Parade Cookies are to make.)
Parade Cookies Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
(slice-and-bake)
3/4 cup flour
Parade Cookies Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 (F) degrees.
Mix flour and store-bought sugar cookie dough in a large bowl.
Roll sugar cookie dough out on well-floured counter or large cutting board. Use star-shaped cookie cutters to create festive Fourth of July sugar cookies. (Hint: Dip cookie cutters and spatula in flour often to prevent dough from sticking.)
Sprinkle cookie shapes with colored sugar or all-American festive Fourth of July sparkles, if desired.
Bake sugar cookies on ungreased cookie sheets for 8 minutes. (Be sure to cool cookie sheets between batches for best results.)
Remove baked Parade Cookies immediately from sheets to racks or countertops for cooling. Parade Cookies may be frosted and decorated when cool.
Easy Icing for Parade Cookies
The icing makes these Fourth of July desserts and treats extra special for your all-American Independence Day barbecue, picnic or potluck.
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons powdered egg white (optional)
6 tablespoons warm water
Red and blue food coloring
Easy Icing for Parade Cookies Instructions:
Combine first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well with hand- or stand-mixer at medium speed. Increase speed and blend for 3-5 minutes, until mixture is smooth.
Divide icing mixture into smaller bowls, and add food coloring as desired. (Remember art class? You can mix your three primary colors to create additional ones.)
Spoon colored icings into resealable zippered plastic bags. Snip a small corner off each bag.
Enlist the children’s help with these Fourth of July desserts and treats. all-American Parade Cookies are an annual Independence Day favorite.
Bandstand Brownies
Here’s another super-simple recipe for Fourth of July desserts and treats. On Independence Day, Bandstand Brownies are sure to beat the band at your all-American celebration for your Fourth of July festive barbecue, picnic or potluck.
Prepare brownies, according to package instructions.
Trace and cut a simple patriotic stencil on standard copy paper.
Choose from online clipart: a flag, stars, firecracker, fireworks, the Liberty Bell, or other all-American or Fourth of July artwork. A few helpful clip-art sites are Christy’s Clip-Art, Designed to a T and Free Fever.
Place the stencil on top of your baked and fully cooled brownies. Sift powdered sugar on top. Carefully remove the stencil, leaving a patriotic pattern on your Bandstand Brownies.
These crowd-pleasing Fourth of July desserts and treats will disappear almost immediately at your all-American Independence Day barbecue, picnic or potluck.
Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” Cake
The ultimate recruiter, Uncle Sam points your way to culinary success with this yummy cake, an ideal Fourth of July dessert and treat. Enlist the troops in your own home to help you create this Independence Day treat for your barbecue, picnic or potluck on the Fourth of July.
Prepare a red velvet cake, according to the packaging instructions. Pour batter into a large flat baking pan.
After baking, when your red velvet cake has fully cooled, cut the cake into a simple top-hat shape. Removing a long, narrow rectangle from each long side will create a top hat with a brim.
Discard the extra edges of your cake, or feed them to the Fourth of July crowd, which is surely gathering in your sweet-smelling kitchen by now.
Frost your Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” Cake (recipe follows).
This simple vanilla frosting is ideal for the Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” Cake, a yummy Fourth of July dessert and treat for your all-American Independence Day barbecue, picnic or potluck.
In a large bowl, begin beating vegetable shortening with an electric hand (or free-standing) mixer. Sift powdered sugar in, and beat more. Add milk and vanilla extract, and beat well.
For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. To thin it out, add a bit more milk until your desired texture appears.
Frost your Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” Cake generously. Use red and blue colored sugars to make stripes on the top hat cake.
What a wonderful Fourth of July dessert and treat for your all-American Independence Day barbecue, picnic or potluck.
Flag-Waving Waffles
Here’s a Fourth of July dessert and treat that is sure to please patriotic people of all ages. Although waffles are most often served for breakfast or brunch, they also make a delicious dessert.
Flag-Waving Waffles are a simpler version of the popular all-American funnel cake, served at county fairs and Fourth of July festivals.
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour (unsifted)
Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) Whipped cream
Flag-Waving WafflesInstructions:
Prepare waffle iron by heating it well.
In large mixing bowl, blend sugar and eggs. Beat well with electric mixer, until mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in softened butter or margarine and milk. Blend completely.
In a smaller mixing bowl, combine baking powder, salt and flour. Add dry ingredients gradually to wet mixture (in larger bowl). Beat well.
Spray waffle iron with vegetable oil (unless manufacturer instructions dictate otherwise).
Pour waffle batter onto waffle iron by half cupfuls. Bake thoroughly before serving.
For a Fourth of July dessert and treat or a super all-American Independence Day brunch delight, serve Flag-Waving Waffles with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and whipped cream.
Stick a few American flag toothpicks into each waffle for a Fourth of July festive barbecue, picnic or potluck.
Creative Candies
Patriotic treats abound at the grocery store in the weeks leading up to Independence Day. You can easily find chocolate kisses, morsels, lollipops, jelly beans and other favorite candies in red, white and blue for your Fourth of July festive barbecue, picnic or potluck.
A Terrific Toast
Of course, no festive all-American feast is complete (even with the finest Fourth of July desserts and treats) on Independence Day without a terrific toast. Why not read a patriotic poem, as you and your guests toast America at your Fourth of July festive barbecue, picnic or potluck?
Click here to read “Wave of Glory – A Poetic Manner on the American Banner.”
