Let your 4th of July table reflect our colors

 

To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, you need a special birthday dessert.

Now, there are plenty of ways to honor our nation’s birthday. You can serve red,white and blue foods — think of a potato salad made with red, white and blue potatoes or a fruit salad garnished with red and blue berries.

You can serve festive red or blue drinks, or keep your traditional beverages cool with ice cubes colored with red and blue food coloring.

But the easiest place to incorporate the colors of the day is in desserts and sweets.

Make a cheesecake, trifle or shortcake and top it with whipped cream and a selection of red and blue berries.

Make frozen pops with fruit juices in berry flavors and colors.

Set up a fruit tray with raspberries, strawberries, cherries and blueberries and a white cream cheese or yogurt dip. Or make a sheet cake, frost it in vanilla icing and then use blueberries and cut strawberries to create an American flag on top.

Whatever you do, whether you choose to eat indoors or outside in your backyard or a park, be safe with your food choices.

Make sure foods that are meant to be served cold are thoroughly cooled before packing. If you’re driving to your picnic destination, place the cooler in the air-conditioned car, not in the trunk.

Set up the picnic in the shade. It will keep everyone cooler, and help keep the food cool as well. Throw away any food that’s been out of the cooler for more than an hour.

Following are some red, white and blue recipes from www.foodandwine.com.

 

 

Whole Fruit Rocket Pops

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup fresh strawberries, stemmed

1 teaspoon lime zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/3 cup well-shaken and stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup sliced banana

1-1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint

Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook three minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl and let cool completely.

Place strawberries, lime zest, two tablespoons lime juice and two tablespoons cooled simple syrup in a blender and process 20 seconds, until smooth. Pour mixture evenly into 8 2-1/2-ounce rocket pop molds. Cover molds with plastic wrap and freeze 45 minutes to one hour, until just set.

Wipe blender clean. Add coconut milk, banana, ginger and two tablespoons simple syrup to blender. Process 20 seconds, until smooth. Uncover pop molds. Pour mixture evenly over strawberry mixture in pop molds. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 45 minutes until one hour, until just set.

Wipe blender clean. Add blueberries, mint, two tablespoons simple syrup and remaining lime juice to blender and process 20 seconds, until smooth. Reserve remaining simple syrup for another use.

Uncover pop molds. Pour blueberry mixture evenly over coconut mixture in pop molds. Insert pop mold sticks into pops and freeze at least four hours, until completely frozen.

To serve, run molds under warm water for a few seconds and gently pull ice pops out of molds.

 

Easy Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

1 quart heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped

2-1/4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

3 tablespoons water

Mixed berries

In a medium saucepan, combine cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring mixture just to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the water and let stand five minutes, until evenly moistened.

Uncover cream mixture and bring just to a simmer over moderately high heat. Remove from heat, add gelatin, and stir until dissolved. Remove vanilla bean and save for another use.

Pour panna cotta mixture into eight four-ounce ramekins and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least three hours, until panna cotta is set but still jiggly.

Serve in the ramekins with berries.

 

 

Mixed Berry Cornmeal Biscuit Shortcakes

2 cups flour, plus more for work surface

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons sugar

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup cold whole buttermilk

1 large egg

4 cups mixed fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, baking soda and three tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in cold buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat dough into a rectangle, and cut into fourths. Stack each fourth on top of each other and pat down into a rectangle again. Repeat process three times.

Pat or roll dough to one-inch thickness  and about a 6-by-9-inch rectangle. Trim edges and cut dough evenly into six three-inch squares. Arrange biscuits two inches apart on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze about 10 minutes, until cold.

Remove biscuits from freezer and brush evenly with egg. Bake in a 425-degree oven 13 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Hull and quarter strawberries, if using. Stir together mixed berries, lemon juice and remaining sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macerated.

Beat cream, powdered sugar, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer on high speed about two minutes, until soft peaks form.

Split biscuits horizontally. Dollop evenly with whipped cream and spoon macerated berries evenly over tops.

 

 

Rosé Sangria With a Mixed-Berry Ice Ring

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup blackberries

1/2 cup fresh currants, optional

Distilled water

2 750-milliliter bottles rosé

8 ounces light rum

8 ounces simple syrup

4 ounces Campari

2 ounces fresh lemon juice

Ice cubes, optional

Layer berries in a Bundt pan. Gradually add just enough distilled water to cover. Freeze 8 hours or overnight, until solid.

In a large punch bowl, stir wine with rum, simple syrup, Campari and lemon juice. Refrigerate 45 minutes. until chilled.

Fill a large bowl with very hot water. Dip the bottom of the Bundt pan in the water to loosen the ice ring and invert it onto a plate. Add ice ring to the sangria. Serve in wineglasses, with or without ice.

The mixed-berry ice ring can be frozen for three days. The sangria can be refrigerated overnight.

 

 

No-Churn Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

1/4 cup cold water

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup whole milk, warm

1 vanilla bean pod

14-ounces sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups plain whole-milk strained Greek-style yogurt

Place water in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin. Set aside one minute.

Warm milk in a small microwaveable bowl on high one minute. Add milk to gelatin mixture, stirring five minutes, until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside.

Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Transfer seeds to a large bowl and reserve pod for another use. Add condensed milk, vanilla, salt and gelatin mixture to vanilla seeds in large bowl, stirring until well combined. Vigorously whisk in yogurt, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking until light and fluffy, about five minutes.

Pour mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Lightly press a piece of plastic wrap directly over surface. Freeze four hours to one week, until firm. Remove from freezer five minutes before serving.

 

 

Summer Fruit Cobbler With Vanilla-Mascarpone Biscuits

2-1/2 pounds fresh or thawed frozen fruit

1-3/4 cups sugar

1-1/3 cups flour

3 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, crème fraîche or sour cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1/2 cup fine semolina flour or fine cornmeal 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Toss together fruit, 1-1/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup flour, vinegar, lemon zest and juice and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Transfer mixture to a three-quart baking dish or 13-by-9-inch baking dish and spread in an even layer. Set aside.

Whisk together mascarpone, butter, 1/4 cup cream and vanilla bean paste in a medium bowl until mostly smooth. Set aside.

Whisk together semolina flour, baking powder, remaining flour, remaining sugar and remaining salt in a large bowl. Add mascarpone mixture and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.

Using a 2-1/4-inch scoop, divide dough into nine 1/4-cup mounds and arrange on top of fruit filling. Brush dough mounds with remaining cream, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake in 375-degree oven 60 to 70 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown and cobbler is bubbly and thickened in center. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

 

 

St. Louis–Style Cheesecake With Blueberries

2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 packed cup plus 2 teaspoons light brown sugar

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups sour cream

2 cups fresh blueberries or huckleberries

Stir together crushed graham crackers, butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a bowl. Press mixture into bottom of a 10-inch springform pan, then wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil or place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in 375-degree oven eight minutes, until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar and one teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed two minutes, until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Using clean beaters, beat egg whites in a separate medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed two minutes, until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture in three additions. Pour mixture into crust and smooth top.

Bake in a 375-degree oven 22 to 25 minutes, until filling is puffed. Let cool on a wire rack one hour.

Whisk together sour cream, remaining brown sugar and remaining vanilla in a bowl. Gently spoon onto cheesecake, then smooth using an offset spatula.

Bake in a 375-degree oven 18 to 22 minutes, until center is set (center will wobble slightly). Let cool on a wire rack one hour. Refrigerate six hours to overnight, until chilled.

Stir together blueberries and remaining sugar in a small saucepan, then cook four minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often, until blueberries start to release juices and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.

Run a knife around edges of cheesecake in pan. Remove springform ring from cheesecake and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon blueberry sauce over cheesecake just before serving.

 

 

White Chocolate–Dipped Meringues

2 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon white vinegar

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

Pearl edible luster spray, optional

1 cup white chocolate chips, melted

Freeze-dried fruit powders, such as strawberry, passion fruit or dragon fruit

Beat egg whites, vinegar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment one minute, until foamy. Gradually add sugar. Increase mixer speed to high and beat five to six minutes, until stiff peaks form.

Fill a large piping bag fitted with a large star or round tip with meringue and pipe kisses about one inch wide and one inch tall and spaced about two inches apart onto two parchment-lined baking sheets.

Transfer baking sheets to upper third and lower third racks of a 50-degree oven and bake 1-1/2 hours, until meringues are dry to the touch. Cool on baking sheets 15 minutes. Spray evenly with edible luster spray, if desired, and let dry 10 minutes.

Dip bottom of each meringue in melted chocolate. While chocolate is still wet, dip in freeze-dried fruit powder. Return to baking sheet and let stand 10 minutes, until chocolate is set.

 

 

Angel Food Cake With Three-Berry Compote

For cake:

10 large egg whites, room temperature

1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup cake flour

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

For compote:

2 pints strawberries, sliced

2 pints raspberries

1 pint blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Beat egg whites at medium-high speed in bowl of a standing electric mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until firm peaks form. Add sugar, two tablespoons at a time, beating each addition for 10 seconds before adding more. Beat in vanilla. Once all the sugar has been added, beat whites at high speed four minutes, until stiff.

Whisk cake flour with confectioners’ sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Sift dry ingredients over beaten whites in three batches, folding gently with a large spatula until incorporated. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan (do not use nonstick pan). Bake in a 350-degree oven 40 minutes, until cake is risen and golden. Invert cake in pan onto the neck of a bottle and let cool.

Combine berries, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan and simmer 10 minutes, until juices are released. Let cool slightly.

Using a knife, loosen cake from pan and remove sides of pan. Loosen cake from the pan bottom and tube. Transfer cake to a plate. Slice cake and serve with berry compote.