Easy treats to make and bring for Fourth of July festivities
America’s 250th birthday is just around the corner! For those hosting Independence Day celebrations or going to a potluck party, these recipes are quick, easy, and major crowd-pleasers!
Festive Rice Krispies treats —Rice Krispies treats are an iconic summer sweet treat, and they can easily be made Fourth of July festive with a little food coloring. When making this recipe, simply divide the butter and marshmallow mixture evenly into three bowls. Then add red food coloring to one bowl and blue food coloring to the second bowl. Leave the third one as is. Evenly distribute the Rice Krispies, as directed in the recipe, into the three bowls and mix each well. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray, then layer the mixtures, starting with red, then “white” and ending with blue. Top with
festive red, white and blue sprinkles of choice. Once cooled, cut and serve!
American flag charcuterie —Turn a simple charcuterie platter into a celebration of its own with a little creativity (and some cookie cutters!). Begin with ingredients like pepperoni, salami and prosciutto, red bell pepper slices, dried cherries or cranberries, entertainment crackers, Marcona almonds, and white cheese slices or cubes, and blueberries. Cut several slices of the cheese into star shapes using a small star-shaped cookie cutter. Begin arranging the flag with blueberries in the top left, topped with the star-shaped cheese. Then alternate red and white foods to create the flag stripes. For a more uniform look, only use one same-colored ingredient per stripe.
Spirited white chocolate-dipped dates —This easy recipe only requires four ingredients and no baking! Simply slice fresh dates to remove the pit, then “reseal” the opening back together. Melt white candy melts or white chocolate chips with a drizzle of coconut oil in the microwave, in 30-second increments to avoid burning. Stir, then dip each date completely into the mixture, then dip one side into red sugar crystals (one third) and the other end (one third) into blue sugar crystals, leaving the middle plain white. To even further simplify this recipe, use a festive red, white and blue sprinkle mixture and top the entire chocolate-covered date with it. Allow to set before serving.
Americana taco dip —Using a rectangular dip platter or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, start with a layer of cooked and cooled black beans (refried or whole, drained). Leave a square of black beans in the top left uncovered and add more as additional layers fill in. Then top the remaining area with sour cream mixed with a taco seasoning packet and guacamole (optional). Begin to create stripes of the flag by alternating “stripes” of shredded white quesadilla cheese and chopped red cherry tomatoes. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to make star-shaped pieces of cheese to top the exposed black beans. Serve with tortilla
chips or crackers.
These easy treats feed a crowd and take very little effort for low-key, laid-back Independence Day celebrations. The Sphinx Date Co. family wishes everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July! For any pre-celebration needs, stop into the Palm & Pantry.