Berry Cutie Pies

I hope that everyone had a happy and festive Fourth of July! The Fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday because of the fun traditions my family has. Red, White, & BOOM! is the large firework display in downtown Columbus on July 3rd. My family has a favorite viewing spot where we watch the fireworks with family friends each year. This year, everyone was looking forward to the finale which was a tribute to the Columbus Bicentennial. After a 25 minute display, the finale filled the sky and many fireworks were let off in one huge blast. One of the most important parts of the night is the escape route for after the show. Luckily, my dad is an expert at navigating the traffic, and this year we beat the mass exodus and made it home in 18 minutes - practically unheard of since there are over half a million people that travel downtown to watch the fireworks!

On the morning of the fourth, all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents get together to watch the Upper Arlington parade. Both of my parents grew up in UA and have been attending the parade since they were children. Our favorite part of the parade is the giant golden bear float and the OSU alumnae band. This year, the temperature reached 100 degrees, and everyone tried their best to stay in the shade! Before the parade, we get together for brunch, and I brought these adorable berry cutie pies!

Berry cutie pies are easy to make, and all of my family loved them! The colors of the fresh berries are perfect for Fourth of July. The crust is a traditional butter recipe, and it is easy to make. The berry filing is made by tossing fresh berries in a mixture of corn starch, sugar, and cinnamon. I found this recipe in my Cutie Pie recipe book which is full of bite-sized delicious desserts!

In addition to the fireworks downtown, we go to the Hilliard fireworks on the night of the fourth. My family always enjoys getting together with neighborhood friends to watch the local fireworks. I have to say, the finale is always breathtaking! Before the fireworks, we went to our friend Kelley's house to sample a festive Fourth of July cake that she made. Not only was it beautiful, but it was also moist and extremely delicious! The only ingredients required are 3 box cake mixes, food coloring, diet sprite, egg whites, and 4 tubs of whipped vanilla frosting. The cake takes time to bake because it is 9 individual layers, but the end result is worth the time in the kitchen. The recipe, which has become viral on Pinterest, can be found on this blog. Thanks for sharing Kelley!

Berry Cutie Pies
printable recipe
BUTTER CRUST:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. sugar

1 cup cold butter

3/4 cup ice water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, salt, and sugar.

Cut in butter to dry ingredients using two knives, forks, a pastry blender, or food processor.

Stir in water until dough forms.

Roll out dough onto floured surface 1/8" thick.

Cut into 3" circles. Place each circle in greased mini muffin tin.

BERRY FILLING:

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup strawberries

1 cup blackberries

4 tbsp. corn starch

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together all of the berries (cut strawberries into smaller pieces)

Combine corn starch, sugar, and cinnamon.

Add berries to dry ingredients and coat completely.

Spoon the berry filling into unbaked crust.

CRUMB TOPPING:

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup butter (melted)

Combine flour, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Melt butter and stir into dry ingredients.

Mix in oats.

Sprinkle on top of pies.

Bake pies for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yields 36 cutie pies.

Recipe from Cutie Pies

Enjoy!

Fourth of July Cakepops

Happy Fourth of July! This year I decided to bring a new treat to our annual cookout festivities with friends and family. After looking at several baking blogs, I discovered the perfect treat that has become wildly popular among the baking community, cakepops! Whoever thought cupcakes were the newest trend better take a look these cake on a stick treats. Smaller than cupcakes, cakepops are perfect to pickup and pop in your mouth without feeling like you have over-indulged. Unless of course you leave these treats sitting out and every time you walk by, can't help picking up another one. Who can resist?

 Put on a lollipop stick, young kids loved carrying these around. They were the perfect size for the kids and the adults couldn't keep their hands off either!

I was encouraged to make what seemed like a fail proof dessert after reading through many online blogs. However I am embarrassed to say that my first attempt at making these was an absolute disaster! Luckily the second go-through was much better!

After mastering my technique, making these cakepops was relatively simple. However, I will say the process is a little time consuming. So, here's how it goes...

CAKEPOPS:

1 box cake mix (any flavor - avoid "butter" recipes)

Ingredients called for to make cake

1 can of frosting (any flavor)

1 or 2 14 oz. bags of Candy Melts (I used Wilton)

Sprinkles

Bake the cake in a 9x13 pan as indicated on the box. Let the cake completely cool. Crumble the completed cake into a large mixing bowl. The crumbs should be very fine without and large clumps. Add 1/4 to 1/2 can of frosting. It is better to add less frosting than you think you will need. (This is where I went wrong the first time I made the recipe.) Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula or with your hands - do not use an electric mixer!

To shape the cakepops, I used a melon baller and then used my hands to make sure the balls were compacted. Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chilled.

Melt the Candy Melts in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, stir, then in increments of 15 seconds until the  chocolate is completely melted. No not burn the candy melt, or it will be ruined.

Dip the end of a lollipop stick in Candy Melt and insert it into the chilled cakepop. Dip the entire cakepop in the Candy Melt. It is best to dip the cakepop at an angle to prevent it from falling off the stick. Tap the cakepop on the edge of the melting dish to remove excess candy melt. Sprinkle the cakepops with any type of sprinkles. I enjoy using non-perils and sugar sprinkles.

I let my cakepops harden and served them on a styrofoam base. I created the base using a piece of styrofoam that was about 3 inches thick. I put holes in the styrofoam that were about 2 inches apart using the end of a lollipop stick. Alternate the spacing of holes to prevent the cakepops from touching while drying. Cover the styrofoam with plastic wrap so that it can be cleaned and re-used.

I used vanilla cake  and vanilla frosting. However, you can use any flavors you want. Chocolate cakepops are like very moist, dense brownies. Wilton makes Candy Melts in a variety of fun colors. You can use coloring to dye your own white candy melts, however it must be oil based. Regular food coloring or Wilton icing paste will ruin the chocolate. I found the Candy Melts, sprinkles, and lollipop sticks in the baking aisle at Michael's Crafts store.