Casual and colorful desserts made easy

Everyone will be bringing something to the 4th of July picnic, but you can bring the grand finale. Each of these tasty sweet treats captures the flair of the 4th without the fuss. In just a little time, you can add patriotic color and fun flavor to classics like cupcakes, ice cream cones and cookies.

Dipped Ice Cream Cones: Add color and crunch to your cones with a dip in red, white or blue melted Candy Melts candy and a variety of patriotic sprinkles. The Cone Cakes baking rack holds the cones for drying and serving.

Red, White and Blue Swirled Cupcakes: Everyone loves picnic treats they can grab and eat, and these July 4th cupcakes also bring pyrotechnics to the plate. Each is topped with an explosive three-color swirl of icing, easily created with the Color Swirl Three-Color Coupler.

S’mores Crispy Cereal Treats: These crunchy cereal bars pack the flavor of traditional s’mores while being much neater to eat. The marshmallow, cereal and candy mixture is laced with warm cinnamon graham and creamy vanilla custard flavors using Treatology Flavor concentrates.

Creamy Coconut Cookie Flag: Give the day a flag-waving finish with red, white and blue royal iced cookies that hold up to the heat using the Color Right(tm) Performance Color System. The tropical taste combination of toasted coconut and creamy vanilla is just right for summer.

It’s a great feeling to bring a dessert that can’t miss. The Wilton Test Kitchen developed these deliciously easy ideas to go with your summer celebration so you can enjoy the fireworks with everyone else. For more party ideas, visit www.wilton.com.

Dipped Ice Cream Cones
Yield: 12 ice cream cones

1 bag (12 ounces) Bright White Candy Melts Candy
Sugar ice cream cones
Jimmies 6-Mix Sprinkle Assortment
Rainbow Jimmies

Melt candy in microwave safe bowl. Dip cones about 1 inch deep around opening of cone. Cut small hole in tip of bag and drizzle melted candy 1 inch deep around opening of cone. Tap cone lightly to smooth, and sprinkle with jimmies. Position cone in cone rack. Let chill, about 10-15 minutes.

Add ice cream scoops at party and serve in cone rack.

Red, White and Blue Swirled Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes

Favorite cupcake recipe or mix
1 4.5-pound tub White Ready-To-Use Decorator Icing
Color Right Performance Color System

Icing Colors
Red (formula 186): 2 cups icing + 40 R
White: Reserve 2 cups icing
Deep Blue (formula 647): 2 cups icing + 26 B + 8 R + 4 P

Bake cupcakes according to package directions in red, white and blue standard baking cups.

Tint icing following color formulas above. Prepare Color Swirl 3-Color Coupler according to package directions, filling one decorating bag each with red, white and blue icing and fitting with tip 1M. Pipe a swirl on each cooled cupcake top.

S’mores Crispy Cereal Treats
Yield: 20 servings

6 tablespoons butter
1 bag (16 ounces) regular-sized marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon Warm Cinnamon Graham Treatology Flavor Concentrate
10 drops Creamy Vanilla Custard Treatology Flavor Concentrate
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 cups crisped rice cereal
1 bag (10 ounces) mini marshmallows, divided
1 1/4 cups Light Cocoa Candy Melts candy, divided

Prepare 13-by-9-inch baking pan with vegetable spray.

In very large saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat until it smells nutty and browns slightly. Reduce heat to medium low; stir in regular marshmallows, warm cinnamon graham and creamy vanilla custard flavors, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.

Remove from heat; stir in cereal, 3 cups mini marshmallows and 3/4 cup light cocoa candy. Press into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining mini marshmallows and press lightly to adhere.

In small microwave-safe bowl, microwave remaining 1/2 cup candy on 50 percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until candy is almost melted. Stir thoroughly until smooth and drizzle over treats. Let cool completely.

Creamy Coconut Cookie Flag
Yield: About 3 dozen 3-inch cookies

Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon Toasted Coconut Treatology Flavor Concentrate
8 drops Creamy Vanilla Custard Treatology Flavor Concentrate
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Icing
3/4 cup + 3 teaspoons water
12 cups (about 3 pounds) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons Color Flow Mix
Color Right Performance Color System (see colors tinted below)

Icing Colors
Red (formula 32): 1 1/2 cups icing + 62 R + 8 O
Deep Blue (formula 647): 1/2 cup icing + 27 B + 5 P + 6 R
White: Reserve 2 cups icing

Note: Make and decorate cookies 1 day in advance to allow for drying time.
Heat oven to 350∞F.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and flavors. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls.

On floured surface with rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter by 1/8 inch thick. Cut cookies with star nesting metal cookie cutter. Dip cutter in flour before each use.

Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 8-11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

Prepare Color Flow icing. Tint icing following color formulas above. Use tip 3, a parchment bag and full-strength icing to outline cookies: 32 in red, 21 in white and 16 in blue. Let cookies dry 1-2 hours.

Thin 1 cup red, 1/4 cup blue and 1 cup white icing. Use thinned icing and disposable decorating bag to fill in cookies. Fill in 8 of blue outlined cookies with white icing and remaining cookies with matching outline color. Let dry 8-12 hours.

To serve, arrange cookies on tray in stars and stripes design.