Red, White & Blue Easy Dessert Recipe

Ingredients:
1 Angel Food cake mix
2 pkgs. vanilla custard or pudding mix
2 lbs. of fresh Fruit -- Strawberries - sliced (or you can use raspberries) - or better yet, mix them - ½ strawberries & ½ raspberries - plus some blueberries (Save a little fruit for decorating the top.)
1/3-cup sugar
1-1/2 cup whipped cream or Cool Whip
1/3-cup water or fruit juice (for an added treat, substitute the water with sherry or other liquor)

Directions:
Prepare cake and pudding according to package directions and let cool completely. Mix fruit with water, juice or liquor. (Fruit should be sitting in liquid but not too much - don't drown the fruit.) Don't forget to set aside a little bit of the fruit to garnish the top.  Cut the cake into large chunks and cover the bottom of dish with a layer of cake chunks. Spoon a layer of the fruit mixture, then a layer of custard or pudding. Repeat the layers several times according to your dish size. Top with whipped cream and remaining fresh fruit. Chill before serving.

Star-Spangled Strawberries

Select some large, firm strawberries.  Wash and pat dry. Dip one side of each strawberry in either melted semi-sweet dipping chocolate or vanilla-flavored almond bark. (If using melted chocolate chips, add 1 teaspoon of shortening to thin.) Immediately roll coated side of the strawberry in chopped nuts, coconut, or red, white, and blue candy sprinkles. Place on wax paper until chocolate is set. Eat as a snack or place on the top of ice cream, cakes, etc.

Red, White & Blue Jello Treat

Ingredients:
(1) 3 oz. package of red gelatin - any flavor
(1) 3 oz. package of blue gelatin (JELL-O makes Berry Blue) 
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water 
(1) 8 oz. container of Whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed
8 dessert dishes
8 Maraschino Cherries
8 Party Flags (on toothpicks)

Directions:
     Prepare gelatin in separate bowls using 1 cup of boiling water and 1/2-cup of cold water for each flavor. Pour into separate 8" square pans.
     Refrigerate until firm (about 4 hours.) Dip pans in warm water for a few seconds to loosen gelatin from pan. Cut gelatin into cubes using a sharp knife. Dip your knife in hot water for each cut. Remove cubes from pan, place in dish or plate and refrigerate.
     Spoon 1/3-cup of whipped topping into each of 8 dessert dishes. Make a depression in the center of the whipped topping and spread the whipped topping up on the side of each dish. Place red and blue gelatin squares on top of the whipped topping and place more whipped topping on top of the gelatin squares. Garnish with a cherry and a small flag on a toothpick that you can get at a party supply store.

Pretzel Sparklers

Ingredients:
1 bag of pretzel rods
1 bag of Nestle's white chocolate morsels, melted
Sprinkles (red, white and blue) or star decorations

Directions:
Melt the white chocolate morsels according to the package directions.  While chocolate is hot, dip the pretzel rods halfway into the melted chocolate.  Sprinkle the star decorations or the red, white and/or blue sprinkles onto the chocolate on each pretzel rod before the chocolate cools. Place coated pretzel rod on waxed paper or in a cup (decorated side up) to dry and cool.

These are easy, yummy and colorful!

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