4th of July Dessert: Patriotic Berry Pie

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Berry Pie Ingredients:

For the crust
2 cups flour (all-purpose)
¼ cup almonds, finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, cold
5-7 tbsp. ice water
For the filling
2 ½ cups sliced strawberries
1 ¾ cups raspberries
1 ½ cups blueberries
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
½ tsp almond extract
For the egg wash
1 egg
Sanding sugar

Berry Pie Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425^oF.
2. Combine the flour, salt and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and add it to the flour mixture; mix with two forks to achieve a coarse crumb-like mixture. Add little by little water, just until the mixture is moistened.
3. Take 1/3 of the mixture out and shape a ball. Place it on wrapping foil and flatten it a bit. Wrap it up and put it in the refrigerator to rest.
4. Sprinkle a little flour on a working surface, take the remaining dough and roll it out into a circle (about 12 inch, 1/8 inch thick). Fold the circle into quarters and place it onto a 9 inch pie plate. Now carefully unfold the circle and press it firmly so it takes the shape of the pie plate. Let a little dough over the edges.
5. The next step is to prepare the berries. You will need two bowls; one to put in the strawberries and the raspberries and the other for the blueberries.
6. In another bowl, mix together the sugar and the corn starch. Now add about ¼ cup of this mixture to the blueberries, along with one tbsp. water and ¼ tsp almond extract. Toss gently to coat everything. Add the rest of the sugar mixture to the strawberries and raspberries, together with ¼ tsp almond extract and toss gently to coat all the berries.
7. Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it a few times in order to make a 2 inch wide strip. Place the strip onto the pie crust, so you separate the surface into 1/3 and 2/3 sections. Press the foil a little bit so it slightly gets into the crust. Now take a spoon and pour the blueberries into the smaller section of the pie. Pour the strawberries and raspberries into the larger section. Now you can remove the foil with care so the berries don’t mix.
8. Take the remaining dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured working surface. Cut out 5 strips (3/4 inch) to use as the flags’ stripes and place them over the strawberries and raspberries. Fold the remaining edge of the crust over the strips.
9. Using a small star cookie cutter, cut out as many stars as you like and place them over the blueberries.
10. Slightly beat the egg and brush the crust with it. To finish, sprinkle with the sanding sugar.
11. Bake for about 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to about 375^oF and continue baking for about 30-40 minutes. Cool, serve and enjoy!

Want more berry recipe ideas?

Take a look at our 23 Patriotic Dessert Recipes!

If you want, you can even make the pie in a rectangular shape to give it an even more flag-like look. This 4^th of July Dessert is going to be the hit of your celebration party. You can serve it with a delicious ball of vanilla ice cream to round it up and provide the perfect patriotic dessert for your guests.

For more summer holiday desserts on Stagetecture, click here.

Summer Dessert: Strawberry Drizzled Banana Pudding Pie

Image via:  This Mommy Cooks and Simply Suppers

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Ingredients

1. 1 box of Niabisco Vanilla Wafers, Divided
2. 1/2 cup of Butter, melted
3. 2 ½ Bananas, ¼ inch slices
4. 4 Egg Whites
5. 2 cups of Milk
6. 1 ½ cup of White Sugar
7. ¼ cup of All-Purpose Flour
8. 4 Egg Yolks
9. Additional ¼ cup of White Sugar
10. 1 Jar of Strawberry Suckers Jelly or Jam

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F for the summer dessert.
2. Take 30 of the vanilla wafers to be set aside, then take the rest of the wafers and crush them in a food processor until they become cookie crumbs. Then blend together the melted butter and crumb wafers, with a 9-inch pie plate firmly press down the mixture onto the upsides, top and bottom of the plate.
3. Place the pie plate in the oven and bake for 11 minutes or until the crust has turned a light brown. After the plate has baked for the time then take it out and set it aside for cooling, let it cool for about 30 minutes.
4. With the cooled pie plate, line some of the banana slices as another layer over the bottom part of the pie plate.

For the pudding:

1. Get a medium-sized saucepan and mix 1 ½ cups of the white sugar and the all-purpose flour. After it has been well mixed then begin to add in the 1 cup of milk.
2. Beat in the egg yolks into the sugar mixture with either an electric mixture on a high speed or by hand. Then add in the last cup of milk and butter. Set the burner on a low heat until the entire mixture has thickened. Then pour about half of the hot pudding or cream mixture over the banana layer in the pie plate.
3. Put another layer of the left over vanilla wafers (that were set aside), banana slices, and the other remaining half of the pudding into the pie plate.

For the Meringue:

1. Beat the egg whites in a large glass bowl into a foamy mixture and gradually add in the additional ¼ cup of sugar while continuing to beat until the egg whites become stiffened. After all of the beating and mixing has been done then cover the entire pan with the meringue, until it is completely covered.
2. Then stick the pie plate into the oven for about 15 minutes, then take out of the oven and place in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Image via:  The Joy of Caking Files

For the Strawberry Drizzle:

1. Lastly take a small saucepan and scoop out the Smuckers jam into it. And on a low-medium heat melt the jam until goes into a liquid form, then take the pie out of the refrigerator and with a spoon, scoop out and drizzle some of the strawberry goodness onto it. It will leave your mouth screaming for more of this summer dessert.

The month of July is always known for the heat that it brings so this year combat that heat with this creamy cool summer dessert recipe.  The recipe is simple to do and the rewards are even better.  Now go back over the recipe and see how it works out for you, your family and guests.  This is sure to be a favorite that everyone will come to love and adore!

Healthy Recipe: Strawberry Spinach Salad

Image via: Smart Blanace

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 – 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Image via: Foodess

Directions

1. To make this easy salad, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, paprika, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and the onion. You could also use a blender to blend them as an alternative. Take the dressing and cover it, then chill for about an hour.
2. Combine the spinach, almonds and strawberries in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it, so the dressing can cover all the other ingredients. Put the salad in the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving it.

Image via: Zestycook

This salad can be prepared in various ways and using other ingredients. Try other fruits, like blueberries, oranges, apples or pineapple. Use balsamic vinegar for a refined taste. Add bacon bits for a heartier outcome. Also, adding cheeses, like feta, would be a great addition. Supplementing the almonds with other dried nuts is also a great way to alter this delicious and healthy salad. Enjoy!

For more healthy salad recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Quenching Spring Drink: Strawberry Lemon Cooler

Image via: pink-parsley.com

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Ingredients

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yields: 8 servings

3 cups fresh water

5 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon peel

1 cup ginger ale (either homemade or canned)

Some crushed ice

Whole strawberries

Procedure

1. In a blender, put water, sliced strawberries, lemon juice, lemon peel, and sugar in batches until smooth.

2. Pour the mixture into pitcher, and stir in ginger ale. Serve chilled with ice.

3. Garnish with strawberries, if desired.

Whether you want to enjoy it all by yourself out of the balcony or looking for an easy crowd pleasing spring drink, this season inspired recipe will help you usher in the warmer months ahead with ease.

For more spring drink recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Spring is that refreshing season we look forward to after a rough winter, and a margarita recipe can do just the trick! It is undoubtedly one of the loveliest times of the year. The snow is gone, the sun shines brightly, and the ground comes to life. As you start planning your summer vacations or finish up your spring cleaning, take time to sit outdoors with a refreshing drink. There are many spring drinks that can awaken your taste buds but none does it as well as a Strawberry Basil Margarita. It is refreshing, uplifting, and is the perfect afternoon cocktail after a morning of cleaning. It is easy to make and doesn’t require many ingredients. Here’s how to make that tasty treat.

Refreshing Strawberry Basil Margarita

Image via: Pinterest

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Ingredients

12 ounces frozen limeade concentrate

8 basil leaves

10 standard strawberries

2½ cups of water

2 cups of silver or gold tequila

Procedure

Pour the limeade concentrate into a pitcher. Add 2½ cups of water and 2 cups of tequila.

Slice the strawberries lengthwise and pour them into the pitcher. Crumble the basil in your hand and add it to the drink. Crumbling it makes it to release flavor into the drink.

Cover the pitcher and leave it in the fridge overnight or for at least four hours. Your margaritas should have a pale pink color after this period.

Expert Tips

• You can make raspberry basil margaritas by replacing strawberries with raspberries. 

• If you don’t like tequila, substitute it with vodka and make strawberry basil martinis. 

• You can serve your margaritas in salted glasses by rubbing their rims with water then dipping them into kosher salt. Margarita salt also serves the same purpose.

Image via: Knead to Cook

This spring drink with fresh fruits is just what your body needs after a long, hard winter. It is perfect for the many spring occasions and holidays. If you enjoy throwing parties but hate the work, serve strawberry basil margaritas. The cocktail is easy to make and is perfect for special occasions. You can make it the night before and leave it in the fridge to cool. The next day, your visitors can drink to their heart’s content as they shower you with praises.

For more cocktail ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

In the mood for a no-fuss cake recipe? How many of us go through those days of wanting some type of baked good yet just was not feeling quite up to baking it?  The baking process at times can seem a bit draining even though the results are rewarding.  Well, this dessert is for those days of not wanting to bake so much but, rather it is just mixing and layering- an icebox cake.  The icebox cakes are usually layers of cream, chocolate and crackers that sits in the refrigerator until it becomes soft like a cake. So you will still able to get the sweet taste and without so much work.  The strawberry icebox cake will be a great start for your non-baking days and will be as delicious as if it were baked.

Summer No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Image via: The Kitchen

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Servings: 8-12

Ingredients

2 pounds of Fresh Strawberries, washed
3 ¼ cups of Whipping Cream, divided
1/3 cup of Confectioners Sugar
1 teaspoon of Rosewater (optional)
4 sleeves of (about 19 ounces, or 24-28 whole crackers) Graham Crackers
2 ounces of Dark Chocolate, finely chopped

Image via: The Kitchen

Directions

1. Pick out a few of the best looking strawberries from the purchased pack and set them aside for garnish.  Then, slice the remainder of the strawberries into thin slices.
2. Now, with either a hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 cups of cream until it is able to hold stiff peaks.  Add the sugar, vanilla, and rosewater (if you are using it) to the stiffened whipped cream and whip them all together.
3. Pull out a 9X13 inch baking pan, or a similarly-sized platter and spread a small spoonful of whipped cream to the bottom of the pan or platter.  Next, layer 6 graham crackers on top of the cream.  Lightly cover the tops of the graham crackers with more whipped cream and them a single layer of strawberries.
4. Repeat step 3, three more time until you have four complete layers of graham crackers.
5. Take and spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon.  Put a few more strawberries.

To make the Ganache:

1. Heat the cream until bubbles begin to form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate.  Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy.  Drizzle the mixture over the layered dessert with a spoon.

Put the pan or platter in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until the crackers have softened completely.  When icebox cake has been chilled thoroughly then add the garnish additional strawberries and serve!

For more food recipes on Stagetecture, click here.