@Commons Cooks: Independence Day Treats!

Red, White & Blue Platter and All American Cookie Bars

The Fourth of July is one of the most exciting holidays, featuring beaches, late sunsets, and (we hope!) fantastic weather. Celebrations like Independence Day deserve treats as festive as fireworks, but when we’re busy having so much fun, who has time to sweat over a hot stove?

This year, declare your independence from boring treats and time-consuming concoctions. These two recipes are not only festive and flavorful; they are easy to prepare – dessert sparklers that we’ll be ready in 30 minutes or less! If you want to save time while showing off your Fourth of July pride, buy prepared vanilla flavored frosting for the cookie bars.

Please be sure to check out the end of the recipes for “Grocery Guru Advice,” which provides information about local supermarkets that carry ingredients for these recipes – or farms located a short drive from the Commons that offer you a great way to make these recipes explode with fresh, local flavor.  We hope you enjoy this week’s @Commons Cooks recipes. And don’t forget to share smartphone pictures with us on Facebook!

Red, White and Blue Platter

Prep and cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

·       1 quart of fresh blueberries (in a box)

·       1 quart of fresh strawberries

·       1 pound of white chocolate pretzels

Preparation Requirements

·       Rectangular cookie sheet

·       Wax Paper

Directions

1.                   Line cookie sheet with wax paper.

2.                 Wash and dry blueberries. Put cleaned fruit back into the original container and place box at upper left hand corner of cookie sheet.

3.                   Wash and dry strawberries. Remove stems, and then cut strawberries into halves.

4.           Lay fruit out in a straight line at top of cookie sheet followed below by line of white chocolate covered pretzels. Repeat pattern to resemble stripes on the American flag. (view photo for reference.) Serve with toothpicks.

All American Cookie Bars

Prep and cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

Cookie base

·       1 cup of unsalted butter; softened

·       2 cups granulated sugar

·       4 eggs

·       2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

·       5 cups of flour

·       1 teaspoon salt

·       1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Frosting

      

·       1/2 cup of unsalted butter; softened

·       5 cups of powdered (confectioners’) sugar

·       1 and ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract

·       6 tablespoons of milk

·       Red and blue sprinkles

Preparation Requirements

·       Handheld or stand mixer

·       Medium bowl

·       Two large bowls

·       10” x 15” baking pan

·       PAM or other non-stick baking spray

Directions

1.                   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.                  Mix dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, baking soda) in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

3.                   In a large bowl, “cream” the butter and sugar together by whipping butter with mixer until light and fluffy, then adding sugar until well mixed. (Note: If you don’t have a mixer, cut butter into tiny pieces, and then blend with fork until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to blend with fork until well mixed.)   

4.                  Add eggs, one at a time, into mixer (Note: If you don’t have a mixer, beat eggs in a 3^rd bowl until frothy, then pour slowly into creamed butter, then beat again until well mixed.)

5.                  Add vanilla to the mixture and stir. Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until batter is smooth.

6.                  Cover baking pan with non-stick spray, then spread batter evenly across pan. Bake for 12 minutes until the cookie bake is a light golden color and you can stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean.

7.                   While cookies cool, get another large bowl and cream butter and powdered sugar (see above.) Add vanilla and milk until smooth.

8.                  Frost cookies and then add equal amounts of red and blue sprinkles until festive!

Grocery Guru Advice

Supermarkets:                               Save-A-Lot, 1110 Revere Beach Parkway, Chelsea. Market Basket, 170 Everett Ave., Chelsea.

Family Farm:                                   Smolak Farm, 315 South Bradford Street, North Andover, MA (35 minute drive from Parkside Commons.) Pick your own strawberries and blueberries. Link here.