4th of July Party Ideas Part One

Sparkle Cones

Ingredients:

• 1 box of ice cream cones, either cake or sugar
• 1 container of microwavable white chocolate for dipping fruit
• Red, White and Blue sprinkles and/or sanding sugar

Directions:

• Melt the white chocolate according to the instructions. Dip the edge of each cone and spread melted white chocolate with the back of a spoon. 
• Holding the cone over a plate, add sprinkles and sparkles. 
• Allow to dry and serve with your favorite ice cream.

Pound Cake Kabobs

Red White and Blue Stuffed Strawberries 

Ingredients:

• 20-25 fresh strawberries
• 20-25 fresh blueberries
• 8 0z. mascarpone cheese
• 3 TB. confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Wash and dry strawberries and blueberries. Set blueberries aside. Using a small paring knife, cut the bottom off of each berry so that they stand up on a plate or tray. Using a melon baller, scoop out the top and stem of the strawberry.
• In a mixer beat together cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Place this mixture in a ziploc bag and snip off a tiny corner of one bag to make an opening like a pastry bag. Alternatively, use a pastry bag if you have one available.
• Gently squeeze the cheese mixture into each berry and top it with a fresh blueberry. Serve.
• Variation Ideas: If you want to take this dessert over the top simply dip the finished strawberries in chocolate, or add cocoa powder to the mascarpone cheese to make the stuffing chocolate flavored.
  

Firecracker Cupcakes (adapted from Kitchen Daily)
Ingredients:

• 1 recipe cupcakes
• 1 recipe frosting (try a traditional buttercream recipe here, or lightly sweet cream cheese frosting here)

for the decoration

• Twizzlers
• Swedish fish
• baby blue Tic Tacs
• blue and red jimmy’s
• chocolate nonpareils
• red and blue sprinkles
• red and white starlight mints

Directions:

• Completely cool your cupcakes and apply a generous layer of frosting. Cut the Twizzlers into segments of varying length, and set all of your candy out. Decorate away!

Firecracker Drink

Turn your summer drink into firecrackers. Coat the glass rim with lemon juice and then dip the rims into Pop Rock candies that are in a dish. 

To get the red-white-blue effect use Tropical punch (blue) add some Pop Rocks candies and then fill glass with any red drink such as pomegranate and cranberry juice , add seltzer.

Cherry Margaritas
Recipe makes 1
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cherries pitted and mashed or 2 oz fresh cherry puree
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz Cointreau
• 1- 1/2 oz tequila
• Lime wedge for garnish

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients into an ice filled mixing tin. Shake and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
• Combine the zest of one lime with several teaspoons of rock salt.
• Rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass. Dip into the zest salt mixture.
• Fill the glass with ice.
• In a cocktail shaker mash the cherries with the simple syrup and lime juice. Add the other ingredients and shake to combine. If using the puree shake to combine.
• Pour into prepared glass and and garnish with a lime wedge.