EASY FOURTH OF JULY STRAWBERRY PIE

For me, Fourth of July is all about Strawberries and Whipped Cream. Here's an Easy Fourth of July Strawberry Pie, but of course I want chocolate with that, so I'm making a Chocolate Cookie Crust. Sprinkle blueberries to the whipped cream topping, and you'll have stars!

EASY FOURTH OF JULY STRAWBERRY PIE

Chocolate Cookie Crust

25-30 chocolate cookie wafers (I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers), 4 Tbsp sweet butter, melted and cooled. Heat oven to 350°F.  Whirl cookies in food processor until crumbs are fine. Put in medium bowl, add melted butter, and mix until combined. Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate evenly and firmly on bottom and up sides. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool (on wire rack) before filling.

Filling & Topping

Mash 2 cups of strawberries (chunky not macerated) (put aside a cup of sliced strawberries). Place strawberries in small saucepan. Add sugar (to taste-depends on strawberries-about 1/2 cup?), 1/4 cup corn starch, dash of salt, 1 tsp vanilla or 1 Tbsp  lemon juice (or both). Bring to simmer until thickened. Cool completely. Add rest of strawberries (cut up or sliced) and put in baked cooled Chocolate Cookie Crust. Put in fridge for 2 hours to set. Top with whipped cream, big whole strawberries, and blueberries!

Happy Independence Day!

Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake: Fourth of July!

What could be more "American" than Coca-Cola? Here's a great Chocolate Coca-Cola  'Soda' cake for the Fourth of July. I love this Retro Ad for Coke. So, get out your 'Pyrex' dish and bake a Retro Chocolate Coca Cola Cake for the holiday! I've also included a recipe for Chocolate Coca-Cola Icing.


CHOCOLATE COCA-COLA CAKE

Ingredients
2 cups unsifted cake flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Sift together flour and sugar. Heat to boiling point the butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola. Add to flour and sugar mixture. Stir to blend. Add buttermilk, soda, eggs, salt, and vanilla. Stir with spoon until well blended. Pour into greased and floured oblong pan (Pyrex dish). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Batter will be thin. Ice while hot.

COCA-COLA ICING

1/2 cup butter
6 Tbsp Coca-Cola
1 box confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cocoa

Heat to boiling point -- butter, cocoa and Cola-Cola. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; stir to blend. Using a fork, make holes in hot cake and pour hot icing over it.

FOURTH OF JULY S'MORES BARS

A few years ago Over the Big Moon posted this fabulous recipe for Fourth of July S'mores Bars. I'm always looking for S'mores recipes, and the addition of Red, White, and Blue M&Ms (available everywhere!) makes these S'mores Bars so festive.  They're also easy, and you can make ahead! Perfect for the barbecue, camping, or taking to friends.

FOURTH OF JULY S'MORES BARS

Ingredients:
1 package of Oreos, crushed into fine crumbs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
7 graham cracker squares (just enough to create a layer in the pan)
3 – 8 oz ounce bars of milk chocolate (for that 'real' S'mores flavor)
4 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups Red, White, & Blue M&M's

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil, leaving a bit of an overhang.
Crush Oreo Cookies into fine crumbs. Combine crushed oreos with melted butter. Press oreo mixture into the bottom of 9×13 pan.
Pour sweet condensed milk over oreo crust.
Break up graham crackers and chocolate bar and sprinkle over sweet condensed milk.
Sprinkle mini marshmallows all over.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle all over top with M&Ms.
Put back in oven and cook for 5-7 more minutes.
Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes.
While the bars are cooling, break up the last 4 ounce chocolate bar and melt with 3 tablespoons milk on stove top until chocolate is runny enough to drizzle over bars. If needed, add more milk.
After bars are cooled, drizzle milk chocolate over top of bars.
Finish cooling before serving!

CHOCOLATE BABY BACK RIBS: Fourth of July

So what are you making for your Fourth of July barbecue? Chicken? Hotdogs? Burgers? Ribs? Here's a great recipe for Chocolate Flavored Ribs for Fourth of July. Don't let this fool you. These ribs are savory with a kick! I found the original recipe on the Fox News Latino site in 2011. I've made a few adjustments, but not many!

CHOCOLATE BABY BACK RIBS

Ingredients
3 pounds baby back ribs
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup apple juice

Chipotle Chocolate Sauce Ingredients
1 Tbsp unsalted Butter
1/2 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
1/2 cup Half and half
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (65 % cacao or more), chopped
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions
Heat cast iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix paprika, cumin, salt and pepper, and rub on all sides of baby back ribs.
Working in two batches, cut seasoned ribs in half.
Brown both sides until crispy.
Place each section in oversized piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place sliced garlic over ribs and divide apple juice and pour over.
Create airtight seal and place in preheated grill for 90 minutes.
Remove from foil and place directly on grill. Brush with chocolate chipotle sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over and repeat, then EAT!

Chocolate Chipotle Sauce
To make sauce, sauté butter over low heat, add cumin and half and half. Continuously stir until hot but not boiled.
Add chopped chocolate and continue to stir until smooth. Mix in apple cider vinegar. Set aside until ready to brush over ribs.