Patriotic Dessert Recipes

PATRIOTIC DESSERT

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, pecans and butter. Press into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Fold in half the whipped topping; spread over crust. In another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. , Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover with remaining whipped topping. Decorate with strawberries and blueberries to resemble a flag. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

4TH OF JULY DESSERTS: AMERICAN FLAG BERRY TART

Steps:

• Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.TIP: This will take a few hours total, though most of that is inactive chilling and baking time. This can be done up to 2 days in advance; store wrapped or in an airtight container.
• Heat the milk with a couple tablespoons of sugar just until boiling. Remove from heat.
• While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and lightened in color, about 2 or 3 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, whisk about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture.PRO TIP: This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.
• Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent "scrambled eggs" on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, stirring constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles.
• Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl set over an ice bath. Stir gently until the pastry cream cools to warm room temperature and no more steam comes off the top.PRO TIP: setting the bowl on a bag of frozen vegetables works great as an easy ice bath alternative, and there's no risk of water splashing in.
• Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap set directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill.
• Transfer the tart shell onto a cardboard round or whatever serving dish you will be using. (Once it is filled with the pastry cream and fruit, the tart will be too heavy and delicate to move.)
• Pour the pastry cream into the tart shell, leaving a ¼" brim. (If you have any extra pastry cream, enjoy it as a parfait with some fresh berries.)
• Arrange a generous amount of fruit and berries in a layer over the pastry cream in your desired design.
• Heat ¼ cup apricot jam with 1 tablespoon or so of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. Strain, if needed, through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the entire fruit tart with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.