Family Features

Fireworks don’t have to be the only party element that makes guests ooh and ah during July 4th festivities. With colorful
sweets that sparkle and a themed tablescape exploding with red, white and blue, your party is sure to be the best on the block.

“Adding patriotic flair to your Independence Day celebration is easy with the right recipes and decorating accents,” said Nancy Siler, vice president of consumer affairs at Wilton. “Put your personal John Hancock on the party by turning traditional summertime foods into amazing sweet treats.”

Try these dessert ideas from the Wilton test kitchen for a celebration that ends with a bang:

*    Burgers with a Sweet Bite: Traditional burgers are a staple for summer parties; switch things up with Sweet Sliders and build your burgers with unexpected ingredients. Start with whoopie pies for
the buns, add a brownie “patty,” roll yellow fruit candies into thin layers for cheese, and top it off with red and yellow Sparkle Gel for ketchup and mustard.
*    Playful Twist on Summer Fruit: Make mouths water by serving
up slices of delicious watermelon ... cheesecake! Strawberry cheese­cake dotted with mini chocolate chips imitates the center of the fruit, and a pistachio and coconut crumble crust mimics the water­melon rind.

*   Patriotic Treat Pops: For the grand finale, nestle Red, White and Blue Treat Pops in a bowl of red Cinnamon Drops. Layer on the festive colors with vanilla cake, colored icing and star-shaped sprinkles. Finish with stars and stripes Rocket Treat Pops Toppers
or red, white and blue pinwheels.

For more celebration ideas, visit www.wilton.com.