July is always full of fun, patriotic celebrations and whether you’re at a picnic, BBQ, or casual get-together, there is always guaranteed to be great food and fun games for the whole family.
Here are four great festive recipe and activity ideas to put a spark in your 4th of July get-together!
Candy-dipped patriotic pretzel sticks
These candy-dipped pretzel sticks couldn’t be easier to make and are the perfect snack kids, and adults, will love to munch on at any festive summer party!
Ingredients
Red, white, and blue candy melts
Pretzel rods
White sprinkles
Instructions:
1. Melt the candy melts in the microwave according to package directions, all in separate bowls.
2. Dip two thirds of the pretzel rod in the white chocolate. Lay out on
parchment paper or cooling rack with wax paper underneath.
3. Dip the top third of the white section i the blue chocolate. While it is
still wet, sprinkle with the white sprinkles. Allow to dry.
4. Pour melted red candy into a plastic baggie. Cut the corner of baggie and drizzle over the white section.
Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream Sodas
These American flag-inspired ice cream sodas are one of the tastiest ways to show your patriotic pride on the Fourth!
Ingredients
½ cup of club soda
4 tablespoons Torani™ Syrup total (2 red, 2 blue)
3 tablespoons half-and-half
3-4 ice cubes
whipped cream and a cherry for the top
Instructions:
1. Add a few ice cubes to the glass. Pour in red syrup, then measure in
about 1/2 cup of club soda.
2. Add in half-and half, followed by the blue syrup.
3. Top with whipped cream and cherry.
Firecracker Dogs
These tasty hot dog bread sticks will save your franks from the boring bun, and are much more fun to eat!
Ingredients
1 can refrigerated bread stick dough
16 hot dogs
16 thick slices Colby cheese (about ¼ to 3/8-inches thick)
1 can refrigerated bread stick dough
Instructions:
1. Stick a skewer all the way through each of your hot dogs, leaving about
an inch and a half exposed out of the top of each hot dog.
2. Take a piece of bread stick dough and carefully wrap it around the hot
dog until you get to the top. Place the wrapped dogs on a non-stick baking liner or parchment paper, bake according to the package directions for the bread stick dough (about 20 minutes at 350ºF).
3. Using a small star cookie cutter, cut out your stars out of the cheese.
4. After your hot dogs have cooled for 2-3 minutes, stick the star through
the skewer at the top.
American Flag Pie
This festive pie is full of cherry and blueberry fillings—and dons a stars-and-stripe pattern—for the ultimate celebratory dessert!
Ingredients
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 can of blueberry pie filling
Refrigerated piecrust
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
2. Take one half of your piecrust, roll it out, and lay it in a pie pan. Make a dam/divider by tearing off a piece of aluminum foil and folding it over several times until it’s about 2 inches high. Then fold the foil in half, creating a sharp crease in the middle. Before you lay it in the pie plate, trim the ends to fit.
3. Open your foil dam/divider to a 90-degree angle, and place it in your pie plate.
4. Carefully spoon the cherry filling against the foil divider, and the same for the blueberry.
5. Use the entire can of cherry filling to fill up the cherry side of the pie, then finish filling the blueberry side to match. Once full, carefully lift up the foil divider to reveal a sharp boundary of cherry and c blueberry.
6. Trim any excess pie crust to slightly outside the outer edge of the pie plate, then roll out the remainder of the piecrust. With a pizza cutter or knife, cut 6 strips of crust approximately 1-inch high and long enough to touch the sides of the pie pan.
7. Lay one pastry strip at the bottom of the blue filling to create a clean line. For the stripes next to the blueberry filling, carefully cut one edge at a perfect right angle to place at the dividing edge of the red and blue pie filling and lay across the cherry pie filling. Trim and press the edges of the strip laying on the pie crust edges into the crust. Continue until all 6 strips have been positioned.
8. Using a star cookie cutter, cut your stars out of the pastry. Lay stars all over the blueberry section of the pie. Fold the pastry to the inside, and crimp with your fingertips.
9. Place in the oven for 35 minutes, or until light golden brown. For a browner crust, brush the pastry with egg-whites.
Photo credits & recipe goes to American lifestyle Magazine.