Red, white and yum: The ultimate desserts for your 4th of July bash
What better way to celebrate America's birthday than with some sweets?
Molly Yeh, a cookbook author and creator of the wildly popular food blog "my name is yeh," shared some of her most festive Fourth of July dessert recipes with "GMA" that are sure to take your bash to the next level.
"Summer parties are the best because they're an excuse to make desserts with some of the very best things summer has to offer: Fresh berries, s'mores and anything frozen," Yeh told "GMA."
"In my perfect dessert world, everything is colorful and playful, and usually topped by sprinkles or bright pretty fruits," she added. "All parties are improved with homemade desserts!"
Here is a roundup curated by Yeh, who is now the host of "Girl Meets Farm" on the Food Network, of some of her top picks for Independence Day desserts that are super cute and ridiculously Instagram-able.
Strawberries and Cream Frozen Cocktail
This is a simple and tasty way to get a good dose of fruit and a little buzz, according to Yeh. Plus, the cardamom adds a complex layer of flavors and the pistachios add a touch of crunch.
Ingredients:
a drizzle of honey
finely chopped raw or roasted pistachios and freeze dried strawberries, for rim
2 c (280g) frozen strawberries
1/4 c (50g) sugar
1/4 c whole milk
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c prairie organic vodka
1/2 tsp vanilla
a good pinch of ground cardamom
dried rose petals, optional
Instructions:
Apply a thin even layer of honey around the rim of two glasses (I find it's easiest to drizzle it directly on the top outside edge of the glass and then use a small rubber spatula or knife to spread it all around) and then coat it with the pistachios and freeze dried strawberries. Set the glasses aside.
In a blender, combine the strawberries, sugar, milk, cream, vodka, vanilla and cardamom and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with pistachios, dried rose petals (if using), and another tiny pinch of cardamom. Enjoy! View full recipe here.
Coconut Rainbow Popsicles
These tri-color pops are a "creamsicle version of one of my favorite desserts, Malabi, a rosewater milk pudding," Yeh said.
Ingredients (For the coconut layer) :
1 c full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
1/2 tsp rosewater
a pinch of kosher salt
a pinch of cinnamon
2 tb maple syrup, or to taste
Optional toppings: Melted chocolate, crushed pistachios, rosebuds, toasted coconut.
Instructions:
Get the ingredients and recipes for the lemongrass layer and pluot layer of the popsicles here.
Make your lemongrass layer, pour into the bottom third of your popsicle molds and freeze for 45 minutes. Make your pluot layer, pour on top of the lemongrass layer and freeze 15 minutes. Insert popsicle sticks and then freeze for another 15 minutes.
Mix together all ingredients for this layer. Taste and adjust as desired. Pour on top of the pluot layer and freeze for an hour. Drizzle with chocolate and top with pistachios, rosebuds, and coconut, if desired. Enjoy!
S'mores Mini Cakes
For this recipe, Yeh uses crushed graham crackers in place of some of the flour. The mini-version of these beloved summertime desserts also make them super cute and ridiculously Instagram-able.
This is an elegant twist on the classic dessert that has become synonymous with summer camp and childhood. Layered with creamy chocolate buttercream and marshmallow topping, this graham cracker concoction is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any family function.
You can get the full recipe here.
Rhubarb Cake
The sourness of the rhubarb provides a nice balance in this moist, tender, cake, Yeh said.
The complex flavor profile of rhubarb jam and vanilla buttercream makes this cake a big hit at any event. Plus, you can decorate the top however you want and re-use the recipe for any occasion.
You can get the full recipe here.
Olympic Cake
This festive, colorful cake is perfect if you're "into puzzles and almondy things," Yeh said.
The loaf-style cake is essentially an Italian almond cookie that has been crafted and colored into a red, white and blue flag. It is loaded with butter and incredibly rich, so not only is it beautiful to look at, but also is also absolutely delicious.
You can get the full recipe here.
This story was originally published on July 3, 2018.
