Fun, Last-Minute Fourth Of July Desserts

Whether you are celebrating the Fourth of July at home with family or heading to a cookout, these easy to make desserts are sure to be a hit at any celebration.

Firework Poke Cake

By: McCormick

Serves 24, Total time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

• 1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 bottle (1 ounce) McCormick® Red Food Color
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 6 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Raspberry Extract
• 30 drops Blue McCormick® Assorted NEON! Food Colors & Egg Dye
• 10 drops Purple McCormick® Assorted NEON! Food Colors & Egg Dye
• 3 packages (4-serving size each) white chocolate instant pudding mix Substitutions available
• 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 package Strawberry Pop Rocks® popping candy

Directions:Preheat

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake mix as directed on package, adding cocoa powder, red food color and vanilla. Pour batter into greased 13×9-inch baking dish.Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan.
• Poke large holes all over cake using the end of a wooden spoon. After holes are made, mix milk, raspberry extract and neon blue and neon purple food colors in large bowl. Add pudding mix; stir just until mixture begins to thicken.
• Immediately pour pudding over cake, filling the holes. Frost cake with whipped topping. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Sprinkle each serving with Pop Rocks®.

Red, White And Blue Sugar Cookie Pie

By: Betty Crocker

Serves 8, Total Time: 1 hr.

Ingredients:

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir sugar cookie mix, 1/2 cup softened butter, egg and flour until soft dough forms. Stir in M&M’s® and candy sprinkles. Press into pie plate.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk with electric mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy. If needed, add remaining 1 tablespoon milk.
• Place mixture in decorating bag fitted with star tip. Decorate sugar cookie pie as desired. Cut into slices, and serve.

Firecracker Cake

By: Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes

Serves 12, Total Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

• 1 box (15.25 oz.) white cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix
• Red food coloring
• Blue food coloring
• 1 container (12 oz.) white frosting
• Red, white and blue sprinkles, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to cake mix directions. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan; set aside.

2. Make cake batter as directed on box, using water, oil and egg whites. Pour 1 cup of the batter into a small bowl; stir in red food coloring until well mixed. Pour another cup of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in blue food color until well mixed.

3. Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour the white batter over red batter in pan. Carefully pour blue batter over white batter. (The blue batter does not need to cover the white batter completely). When you add the batter to the pan, do not mix with a spoon. Just pour it in so the colors don’t mix but rather, just rest on top of each other in the pan.

4. Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place cooling rack over cookie sheet. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack. Cool cake completely, about 30-45  minutes.

5. When cake is cool, divide the frosting evenly into 3 microwavable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting uncovered on HIGH a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle all of the 1st bowl of microwaved frosting all over the cake, back and forth around the cake in a striping pattern. Repeat microwaving second bowl of frosting until smooth. Stir in a few drops of the blue food coloring until well blended. Drizzle over cake, scattering back and forth. Repeat with remaining frosting and red food coloring, making sure red, white and blue can be seen on the cake. Sprinkle with red, white and blue sprinkles, if desired. Let cake stand at room temperature until frosting is set before serving.

Store loosely covered at room temperature.

4th of July Rice Krispy Balls

By: high heels & GRILLS

Makes 4-5 dozen

Ingredients:

• 6 cups rice krispy cereal
• 3 Tbsp. salted butter
• 40 regular-sized marshmallows
• 16 oz. Candiquik white melting chocolate
• Red, white, and blue sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine butter and marshmallows and heat over medium heat. Stir until there are only a few lumps of marshmallows left and butter is completely melted.
2. Add the rice krispies and stir until the krispies are completely coated.
3. Roll rice krispies into 1 inch balls and place on wax paper.
4. When all the krispies are rolled, melt chocolate according to package directions.
5. Dip the krispy treats in the chocolate and place back on the wax paper.
6. Before the chocolate hardens all the way, shake some sprinkles on top and then let sit until chocolate is hard.