Get creative with your sugar cookie decorating by following some of my easy decorating tips below!

4th of July Sugar Cookies

For Cookies
Combine dough and flour. Roll to ¼” thickness. Cut out cookie shapes. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

For Royal Icing

1. In a stand mixer combine sugar and meringue powder. Add 8 tablespoons of water, using the whisk attachment, beat for 1 minute on low. Continue to add water one tablespoon at a time until the icing slowly drizzles from the whisk when lifted.
2. Once prepared – if the icing is too hard, add more water one drop at a time. Too runny, add more icing sugar one teaspoon at a time.
3. Separate the icing into small mixing bowls and add desired food coloring. Mix well. Scoop the icing into piping bags or icing bottles.

Decorating instructions

1. Line around the edge of the design with icing and fill the middle. Use a toothpick to poke bubbles or direct icing into holes.
2. Fill in the rest of the of the cookies, spreading the icing until smooth.

Here are different decorating techniques:

1. Polka Dots: before the flooded icing area dries, add dots of different colored icing.
2. Zig zag design: before the flooded icing area dries, add stripes of different colored icing and then drag a toothpick through the stripes.
3. For fireworks: before the flooded icing area dries, Drop one large drop of different colored icing, use a toothpick to drag icing from the dot into the flooded area in a firework pattern.  Drop a smaller dot of a different color into the same spot and use a toothpick to draw the icing into the flooded area.
   

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4th of July Sugar Cookies

These bright and celebratory 4th of July Sugar Cookies are a must-add to any holiday platter for your 4th of July events.

Course Dessert

Cuisine 4th of July, Cookies

Keyword royal icing

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 165kcal

Ingredients

For Cookies

• 1 package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• ¼ cup all purpose flour

For Royal Icing

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 8-12 tablespoons room temperature water
• Gel food coloring

Instructions

For Cookies

• Combine dough and flour. Roll to ¼” thickness. Cut out cookie shapes. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

For Royal Icing

• In a stand mixer combine sugar and meringue powder. Add 8 tablespoons of water, using the whisk attachment, beat for 1 minute on low. Continue to add water one tablespoon at a time until the icing slowly drizzles from the whisk when lifted.
• Once prepared – if the icing is too hard, add more water one drop at a time. Too runny, add more icing sugar one teaspoon at a time.
• Separate the icing into small mixing bowls and add desired food coloring. Mix well. Scoop the icing into piping bags or icing bottles.

Decorating instructions

• Line around the edge of the design with icing and fill the middle. Use a toothpick to poke bubbles or direct icing into holes. Fill in the rest of the of the cookies, spreading the icing until smooth.

Here are different decorating techniques:

• Polka Dots: before the flooded icing area dries, add dots of different colored icing.
• Zig zag design: before the flooded icing area dries, add stripes of different colored icing and then drag a toothpick through the stripes.
• For fireworks: before the flooded icing area dries, Drop one large drop of different colored icing, use a toothpick to drag icing from the dot into the flooded area in a firework pattern.  Drop a smaller dot of a different color into the same spot and use a toothpick to draw the icing into the flooded area.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post 4th of July Sugar Cookies appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

This no-bake treat or dessert is made with a gooey mini marshmallow and crunchy rice krispie mixture, then decorated with frosting and candy to resemble the American flag. They’re easily customizable for adding your favorite edible decorations and simple enough to get the kids involved in your patriotic treat preparations!

4th of July Rice Krispie Treats

1. Spray a 9 x 13” baking pan with butter or a non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine your marshmallows and butter and heat for 1-2 minutes until the marshmallows get puffy.
3. Now mix in your Rice Krispies cereal.
4. Scoop the Rice Krispies into your pan, press down firmly, and freeze/refrigerate for 15 minutes before slicing into rectangles. This will help with applying the frosting.
5. Fill one decorating bag with vanilla frosting and one with blue vanilla frosting and cut a small tip off the ends.
6. Frost each Rice Krispie rectangle with vanilla frosting and the top left corner with blue vanilla frosting.
7. Use the Twizzlers pull n peel to make stripes on your flag Rice Krispies.
8. Sprinkle a few white stars on the blue frosting.

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4th of July Flag Rice Krispie Treats

Looking for a treat for your 4th of July celebrations?! These 4th of July Flag Rice Krispie Treats are not only cute but are also ridiculously easy to make.

Course Dessert

Cuisine 4th of July

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Decorating time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 313kcal

Ingredients

• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 15 oz miniature marshmallows
• 4 Tablespoons softened butter
• 1 can vanilla frosting
• 1 can blue vanilla frosting
• Twizzlers pull n peel
• Wilton star sprinkles
• Decorating bags
• Non stick cooking spray

Instructions

• Spray a 9 x 13” baking pan with butter or a non-stick cooking spray.
• In a large microwave safe bowl, combine your marshmallows and butter and heat for 1-2 minutes until the marshmallows get puffy
• Now mix in your Rice Krispies cereal.
• Scoop the Rice Krispies into your pan, press down firmly, and freeze for 15 minutes before slicing into rectangles.
• Fill one decorating bag with vanilla frosting and one with blue vanilla frosting and cut a small tip off the ends.
• Frost each Rice Krispie rectangle with vanilla frosting and the top left corner with blue vanilla frosting.
• Use the Twizzlers pull n peel to make stripes on your flag Rice Krispies.
• Sprinkle a few white stars on the blue frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 113g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 1572IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 7mg

The post 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

4th of July Cakes and Cookies

1.  4th of July Cookies 
2. Red White and Blue Layered Cake
3. Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake
4.  Red, White, and Blue Sugar Cookie Cake 
5.  Stars and Stripes Sugar Cookie Bars 
6.  Firecracker Cake 
7.  Patriotic, Red, White, and Blue Thumbprint Cookies 
8.  Fireworks Sugar Cookies 
9.  Patriotic Pinwheel Cookies 
10.  Chocolate Chip Cut Out Cookies 
11.  Red, White, and Blue Cake 
12.  Flag Decorated Zebra Cakes 
13. Blue Velvet and Raspberry Buttercream Cookiewiches 
14.  Cherry Almond Sugar Cookies 
15.  Spiral Sparkler Flag Cookies 
16.  Patriotic Tunnel Cakea 
17.  Firecracker Cake 
18.  Red, White, and Blue Chocolate Chip Bars 
19.  4th of July Firecracker Bites 
20.  Patriotic Cake with SNICKERS Ice Cream Bars Layer 
21.  Patriotic Ice Cream Cake 
22.  4th of July Icebox Cake 
23.  Red, White, and Blue Marbled Layer Cake 
24.  Patriotic Unicorn Sprinkle Cupcakes 
25.  Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake 
26.  Patriotic Cookies with M&Ms 

The post 4th of July Cakes and Cookies appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

If you thought adult drinks were boring then this cocktail is proof to suggest otherwise! Its stunning ombre effect draws you in and the refreshing combination of juice, rum, and flavored bubbly seltzer is the perfect refreshing drink for a Summer party or easy weekend sundowner!  

Tipsy Mermaid Cocktail

1. Combine the pineapple juice, blue curacao, lime juice, and rum in a mixing container such as a small pitcher and lightly stir.
2. Pour in the White Claw and give a light stir, but not too much as you don’t want to flatten it.
3. Serve with ice, a lime slice, pineapple slice, or maraschino cherries, if desired, and enjoy!

WHAT IS BLUE CURACAO?

• Blue Curacao is an intensely blue coloured liqueur made from orange peels, and dried and sliced Lahara. It certainly adds a pop of color to this cocktail. The name Blue Curacao comes from the name of the Island Curacao, which is where it is produced. 

HOW DO I ACHIEVE THE OMBRE EFFECT OF THIS DRINK?

• Pour Curacao Blue into the glasses before adding any other ingredients. Once filled with the remaining ingredients do not mix as this will combine the color of pineapple juice with the blue and you will have a pretty but plain green drink. 

WHAT OTHER WHITE CLAW FLAVORS COMPLIMENT THIS COCKTAIL?

• If you are not a fan of watermelon then you can easily swap it out for another flavor. One thing to remember is that this drink is meant to be a lightly flavored cocktail, and some flavors just simply go better together than others.
• Good alternatives to the watermelon flavor include  mango, orange, lime, lemon, coconut, raspberry and strawberry. 

More Drink Recipes We Love

• Whipped Hot Chocolate
• Immune Boosting Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
• Ultimate Bloody Mary

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Tipsy Mermaid Cocktail

This fun and delicious Tipsy Mermaid Cocktail is a combination of Blue Curacao, rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and White Claw Watermelon Seltzer. 

Course Drinks

Cuisine 4th of July

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 minutes minutes

Servings 2 drinks

Ingredients

• 12 oz Can White Claw Watermelon Seltzer
• 3 Ounces Pineapple Juice
• 2 Ounces Rum
• 2 Ounces Blue Curacao
• 1 Ounce Lime Juice

Instructions

• Combine the pineapple juice, blue curacao, lime juice, and rum in a mixing container such as a small pitcher and lightly stir.
• Pour in the White Claw and give a light stir, but not too much as you don’t want to flatten it.
• Serve with ice, a lime slice, pineapple slice, or maraschino cherries, if desired, and enjoy!

The post Tipsy Mermaid Cocktail appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

First, you layer the brats with sliced onion in a pan of amber ale and let the whole pan simmer on top of the grill, so the sausages soak up that light, malty flavor. Then, right before they’re done, you pull them out of the pan and lay them on the grill for just a few minutes to give them a nice, crisp outer coating.

Plump, crisp, and bursting with German flavor, these Beer Brats are delicious in a crusty bun with your favorite sausage topping – ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo, sauerkraut, or dill pickle. Or all of the above!

How to Make Beer Brats

1. Preheat oven or grill to 400 degrees F. Slice onions and layer in the bottom of a deep sided baking pan.
2. Place uncooked brats on top of onions.
3. Add beer to the pan, enough to cover the brats. Add any additional onion slices to the top of brats.
4. Cover pan and place on a 400F degree grill/oven.
5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Pull brats from pan and place on grill grates, grill for 5-10 minutes to crisp the bratwurst. If cooking indoor, pan fry instead.
7. Once crisped, pull from the grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes. 
8. Serve with toppings of your choice.

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Beer Brats

These Beer Brats are plump, crisp, and bursting with German flavor. Easy to make an perfect in a bun with your favorite sausage topping.

Course Dinner

Cuisine 4th of July, bbq, grill

Keyword easy recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Parboiling 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 12 to 14 Brats
• Amber Ale style beer
• White sweet onions
• Brat style buns

Toppings

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Relish
• Sauerkraut
• Grilled onions

Instructions

• Slice onions and layer in the bottom of a deep sided baking pan.
• Place uncooked brats on top of onions.
• Add beer to the pan, enough to cover the brats. Add any additional onion slices to the top of brats.
• Cover pan and place on a 400F degree grill.
• Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
• Pull brats from pan and place on grill grates, grill for 5-10 minutes to crisp the bratwurst.
• Once crisped, pull from the grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes.
• Serve with toppings of your choice.

The post How to Make Beer Brats appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

This 4th of July Snack Mix is bright and cheerful as well as being super easy and quick to whip up, giving friends and family something delicious to munch on while the BBQ is on or the main meal is being prepared! 

How to Make 4th of July Snack Mix

1. In a very large bowl, stir together pretzels and cereal. Add candy and marshmallows and stir together.
2. Spread mixture evenly onto large baking sheet.
3. Cut licorice Twizzlers into small pieces and add on top.
4. In 3 separate microwave safe bowls, melt chocolate for 30 seconds, stir and continue heating for 10-20 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolate is almost melted. Continue stirring until smooth.
5. Transfer into plastic squeeze bottles. This is optional, but much easier to add the chocolate. You can also use piping bags or just drizzle with a spoon. Drizzle white chocolate, then add red and blue melted chocolate.
6. Immediately add sprinkles. Let set about 10-15 minutes to harden.
7. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container until ready to serve.

WHAT CAN BE ADDED TO THIS 4TH OF JULY SNACK MIX?

This patriotic snack mix is super cute and tasty with the ingredients I’ve used but I know that everyone has their own preferences – after all, there’s always room for adding your own personal twist. Here are some tasty additions you could include: 

• Candy of your liking, Whoppers, Reese’s Pieces or chopped up Hershey bars;
• Sprinkles of any type – 4th of July themed nonpareils are great as well as any star-shaped sprinkles you can source. 

CAN I REFRIGERATE THIS 4TH OF JULY SNACK MIX?

Yes, you can. You can store this snack mix in an airtight container in your refrigerator for a few days whether you have leftovers or are planning on making a batch ahead of your celebrations.

You can also store the snack mix at room temperature in an airtight container but it will last longer in the refrigerator. Just keep in mind that the longer you store this snack mix, the greater the chances of the Chex corn cereal and pretzels becoming less crunchy. 

More Awesome 4th of July Food Ideas

• Easy Taco Salad Flag
• Jello Firecracker Dessert
• Red White & Blue Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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4th of July Snack Mix

This 4th of July Snack Mix is a sweet and crunchy snack treat with sweet candies, chocolate melts, marshmallows, cereal and pretzels.

Course Appetizer, Dessert

Cuisine 4th of July, snack

Keyword kid friendly, memorial day, red white and blue

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 5 cups pretzels
• 5 cups Chex corn cereal
• 2 cups chocolate candy like M&M’s
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 8-10 Twizzlers or red vines
• 1 pound white almond bark
• 1 bag red candy melts
• 1 bag blue candy melts
• Sprinkles

Instructions

• In a very large bowl, stir together pretzels and cereal. Add candy and marshmallows and stir together.
• Spread mixture evenly onto large baking sheet.
• Cut licorice Twizzlers into small pieces and add on top.
• In 3 separate microwave safe bowls, melt chocolate for 30 seconds, stir and continue heating for 10-20 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolate is almost melted. Continue stirring until smooth.
• Transfer into plastic squeeze bottles. This is optional, but much easier to add the chocolate. You can also use piping bags or just drizzle with a spoon. Drizzle white chocolate, then add red and blue melted chocolate.
• Immediately add sprinkles. Let set about 10-15 minutes to harden.
• Break into pieces. Store in airtight container until ready to serve.

The post 4th of July Snack Mix appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

If you’re looking for a show-stopper kind of appetizer then you should definitely add this Red, White and Blue Charcuterie Board to your meal planning. 

A charcuterie board is incredibly easy to assemble, adapt and can be made up to 24 hours in advance which means you have one less thing to busy yourself with while you should be kicking back and enjoying the festivities instead!

Red White Blue Charcuterie Board 

1. Choose a board or serving dishes for the charcuterie board.
2. Place loose ingredients (small candies, loose berries, etc.) into bowls or individual dishes. Place those bowls on the board or buffet first.
3. Arrange other items around the bowls. Add assorted tongs or holiday decorations.

WHAT IS A CHARCUTERIE BOARD?

• The term “charcuterie” is French and essentially refers to a mix of meats, cheeses, artisan breads, fruit and nuts, that are placed with decorative flare on a serving plate/board as a delicious assortment of appetizer snacks!

• This charcuterie board has been assembled specifically for 4th of July celebrations which are right around the corner. The combination of red, blue, and white appetizer ingredients makes this board pop with bright color contrasts and screams “party time!”.  

CAN I MAKE THIS RED WHITE BLUE CHARCUTERIE BOARD AHEAD OF TIME?

• Yes, you can! Most charcuterie boards can be assembled and stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours at the most before you intend to serve it. 

• To store your assembled board, make sure that you wrap it tightly (without messing up the ingredients) with plastic wrap to prevent your ingredients from drying out

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Red White Blue Charcuterie Board

If you’re looking for a show-stopper appetizer, then you should definitely add this Red White Blue Charcuterie Board to your meal planning.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine 4th of July, snack

Keyword July, memorial day

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Small containers
• Large cutting board or platter

Ingredients

Assorted vegetables, fruits, dips, and cheeses in red, white and blue like:

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Watermelon
• Gouda cheese
• Pepper jack cheese
• Blueberry goat cheese
• Water crackers
• Clubhouse crackers
• White dipped pretzels
• Toasted crostini
• Cream cheese spread
• Blueberry jam
• Blue wrapped candy like Dove Milk Chocolates
• Red wrapped candy like Dove Dark Chocolates

Instructions

• Choose a board or serving dishes for the charcuterie board.
• Place loose ingredients (small candies, loose berries, etc…) into bowls or individual dishes.
• Place those bowls on the board/platter first.Arrange other items around the bowls. Add assorted tongs or holiday decorations.

The post Red White Blue Charcuterie Board appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

Bad name…good cake.

If you’ve never heard of dump cake before, your life is about to change for the better.

A “dump cake” is about the easiest possible cake in the world. All you do is “dump” all your ingredients straight into a greased cake pan and put it in the oven. No sifting, no beating, no mixing – just dump and bake. Even if you’ve never baked a cake before in your life, you can’t mess this up.

Now I’ll admit, the name doesn’t sound all that appetizing. But the cake itself can be fantastic.

Take this Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake, for instance. The ingredients are super simple: canned cherry pie filling, a box of chocolate cake mix, and melted butter. But when you dump them all in a pan together, it bakes up into a rich, moist, chocolatey treat, like a cross between devil’s food cake and cherry cobbler.

Dressed up with some whipped cream, fresh cherries, and red-white-and-blue sprinkles, this makes a super easy, patriotic dessert for a Fourth of July party. Or you can serve it plain, and it’s still delicious.

Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake

INGREDIENTS

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Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake

Ingredients

• 2 (21 oz) cans cherry pie filling
• 1 box Devils Food Chocolate Cake Mix
• 3/4 cup butter - melted
• Whipped cream , to garnish
• Cherries (maraschino or Bing), to garnish
• Patriotic sprinkles , to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x13 pan. Dump the 2 cans of cherry pie filling into the bottom of the 9x13 pan.  Use a spatula to even the filling out across the pan.
• Sprinkle the dry cake mix on top of the cherry pie filling.
• Drizzle the melted butter all over the chocolate cake mix. Bake for one hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, cherries and/or sprinkles.

The post Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.

You know the expression, “As American as apple pie?” Well, it’s silly. Lots of countries have apple pie, or at least something like it.

But chocolate chip cookies, on the other hand…now that’s a real all-American dessert, born and baked in the USA. They were invented in Massachusetts in 1938, and they’ve been a staple at American parties ever since.

This makes chocolate chip cookies the perfect dessert for your Fourth of July picnic. And to make them look really All-American, here’s a little trick I learned: substitute red and blue M&Ms for half the chocolate chips. This turns an everyday dessert into a red-white-and-blue patriotic treat. (The cookie itself can count as the white part.)

The great thing about this trick is that you can adapt it to work for any holiday. Use red and green M&Ms, and you have Christmas chocolate chip cookies. Get a bag in pastel colors, and they’re perfect for Easter. Use orange and black ones, and they’re a spooky treat for Halloween.

So no matter what time of year it is, you can celebrate in style with the most American dessert of all.

4th of July Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup red white and blue M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Start by mixing together sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Once combined, mix into cookie mixture about 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in chocolate chips and M&Ms.

Place rounded, heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.

Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Centers will be soft. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cookie rack to completely cool.

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4th of July Chocolate Chip Cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter , softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup red white and blue M&Ms

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Start by mixing together sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Once combined, mix into cookie mixture about 1/2 cup at a time.  Stir in chocolate chips and M&Ms.
• Place rounded, heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.
• Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Centers will be soft. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cookie rack to completely cool.

The post 4th of July Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on The Rockstar Mommy.