The Perfect 4th of July Dessert: A Flag Cake!

Happy (almost) 4th of July! Not only is it time to celebrate our country's birthday, if you live in Los Angeles it's also time to celebrate the end of June gloom and the beginning of perfect summer weather. This weekend, that means a plethora of BBQs, picnics and pool parties. For guests of those BBQs and pool parties, it also means figuring out what to bring! If you're at a loss over what [insert dish here] to make as your BBQ contribution, worry no more! I've got an absolutely fantastic dessert that will put your patriotism – and baking skills – on full display.

The perfect 4th of July party dessert!

It's a flag cake. Yes, a flag cake. All you need to do is make a cake, make some icing and garnish with blueberries and raspberries until it looks like the American flag. Okay, maybe it's not really that simple – it's a bit time-consuming and some basic piping skills are required – but it's SO worth it, especially for this red, white and blue holiday. While I made the cake and the frosting from scratch, you can absolutely use boxed cake mix and tubs of buttercream or cream cheese icing. The recipe I'm following is from the Barefoot Contessa herself: Ina Garten. It can be found in her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook and it's my #1 go-to Fourth of July dessert recipe. Hopefully it will be yours, too!

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing:

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the "flag" decorations:

• 2 half-pints blueberries
• 3 half-pints raspberries

To make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 18 x 13 x 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Butter and flour an 18 x 13 x 1 1/2-inch sheet pan

Cream butter and sugar

Add eggs, one at a time

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix to combine

This is what the wet ingredient batter should look like

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

Sift together flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda

With mixer on low, add dry ingredients slowly to wet ingredients. The batter should look like this when all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Spread the batter evenly on the baking sheet

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Make the icing: Combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Combine icing ingredients and mix until smooth

Decorate the cake: I keep the cake in the baking sheet and serve it that way. It's much easier for me. If you want to flip the cake out, line the baking sheet with parchment paper and flip it onto a large platter after it has baked and cooled. Then spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

Spread 3/4 of icing onto cake. Outline flag with a toothpick.

Wash and dry blueberries

Line rows of blueberries for the "star" area of the flag.

Fill the entire "star" area with blueberries.

VERY GENTLY, clean and dry the raspberries.

Starting at top of cake, make two rows of raspberries.

Using a large star tip in a piping bag, pipe two rows of icing below raspberries.

Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until flag is complete (you can already see the flag taking shape!).

Here's the detail of the raspberry and icing rows.

Pipe stars onto the blueberry layer.

You're done! You've got a 4th of July flag cake! Chill it in the fridge for a bit before taking it to your party.

Gourmet Magazine's Pumpkin Gingersnap Parfait

Finally, I get to make this gingersnap pumpkin parfait. I've had this recipe in the blog hopper, so to speak, since fall of last year. Why so long? There was never the "right" time to make it, because by the time I thought about it, fall was long gone. And no one wants to make a pumpkin recipe in April. This recipe, courtesy of Gourmet Magazine, is great. The hardest part of the recipe requires you to "bloom" gelatin over warm water for a minute. If you can handle that -- which I know you can -- then you're good to go.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Parfait

From start to finish the parfaits took me about one hour to make, which doesn't take into account time spent wondering if I just should just eat the whipped pumpkin creme directly out of the bowl (I did not). If you're in a time crunch, you can make the parfaits one day ahead of time and let them just chill out in the fridge. I also recommend using either Ziploc-turned-piping bags or professional pastry piping bags to layer the pumpkin mixture and whipped cream. That way you end up with the clean layers inside the glass, rather than all over the sides. Here's how you make them:

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 tsp)
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 (15-oz) can pure pumpkin
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups chilled heavy cream, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
• 20 gingersnap cookies, coarsely crushed
• EQUIPMENT: 8 (6- to 8-oz) glasses

Directions: Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk together gelatin mixture, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Beat 1 cup cream with 1/2 tsp vanilla until it holds soft peaks, then fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly. Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream with remaining 1 tsp vanilla until it holds soft peaks. Spoon about 1/4 cup pumpkin mixture into bottom of each glass, then sprinkle with some of cookies and top with about 2 Tbsp whipped cream. Repeat layers once, ending with cream. Chill until set, at least 2 hours. Note: Parfaits can be made up to one day in advance and chilled.

Pumpkin Parfaits: Step By Step

Need some more guidance? Here are step-by-step photos. Hopefully they're helpful!

Step #1: Pipe a layer of pumpkin mixture into bottom of each glass

Step #2: Sprinkle crushed gingersnap cookies over pumpkin mixture

Step #3: Layer whipped cream

Step #4: Pipe another layer of pumpkin mixture

Step #5: Sprinkle another layer of crushed gingersnap cookies

Step #6: Pipe another layer of whipped cream

Step #7: Sprinkle a few more crumbles of gingersnap cookies

You're all done! Stick the parfaits in the refrigerator for a few hours and serve up to one day later. If you can wait that long!

Pumpkin Parfait: Just Chill & Enjoy

Earning My Stripes: Argyle Sugar Cookies

I think I've got a problem. For the third or fourth time, I've taken on a substantial dessert project for a friend. A project that takes me a good solid week to accomplish. But that's NOT the problem; the "problem" is that I really, really love it and wish I could do it all the time. I realized I get a sick amount of satisfaction and joy from sitting at my dining room table (my kitchen is just way too small) and rolling out dough, shaping cookies, setting up cooling racks and then -- for HOURS -- piping layers of elaborate decorations on cookie after cookie after cookie. I can spend as much time happily doing that as my husband can watching football for days at a time. It's kind of sick, but I guess we've all got our thing.

My latest "project"...

...Argyle sugar cookies with a fondant initial for a friend's baby shower

So what was the project this time? Custom-designed sugar cookies for a circus-themed baby shower. Specifically, I made 30 rectangular sugar cookies piped with a dual blue argyle pattern to match the baby shower invitation. Oh, and I also created 30 white fondant "E's" (the baby's name is Ethan), brushed them with luster dust (basically sparkle powder you mix with vodka and paint on the fondant), piped a white border and added white sanding sugar to each. Yeah, so that also goes on each cookie. Like I said, I think I have a problem...

Fondant "E's" - The baby's name is Ethan

If you have a "problem" similar to mine -- basically, an insane love for baking and arts & crafts -- here are the cookie and icing recipes plus step-by-step instructions and photos. Note that I've left out photos of mixing, rolling and cutting out the dough and have gone straight to the decorations. If you'd like to see the dough prep photos, check out my earlier sugar cookie project post here. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

• 25 ounces (3 cups, 1 ounce) pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 11 ounces (1 cup, 3 ounces) sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pound (equivalent of four sticks) butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla (I prefer Madagascar vanilla paste)
• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Royal Icing

Yields approximately 2 1/2 cups

• 16 ounces powdered sugar, sifted at least once
• 2-3 large egg whites (I used pasteurized egg whites in a carton, which is safer for pregnant women and children)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

To make the sugar cookies: Add all dry ingredients into a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on LOW until combined. If you put it on a higher setting, you'll end up wearing the dry ingredients. With mixer running on low, add in the cold butter pieces a few at a time until a crumbly, wet dough starts to form. You may to increase to speed as the dough thickens. Make sure you do not let it come together into a ball of dough, as you still have to add the cream cheese and vanilla paste. With the mixer still running, add the vanilla paste and cream cheese and mix on low until dough forms large clumps. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead lightly to finish. Break the dough into four equal portions and rap in plastic (13-14 oz. each). Chill for at least an hour, then roll out until the dough is 3/8”-1/4” thick. Cut or shape as desired. Re-roll scraps only once. Freeze shapes before baking and do NOT thaw before putting them in the oven. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat (nonstick) liner, add the frozen shapes and bake until the edges are a light golden brown and the center feels just set.

Important note about the dough: Since the dough is make primarily of butter, it softens very, very quickly. If you need it to harden a bit before working with it, I roll out the dough between two wax sheets of paper . That way, if it gets too soft, I can throw it back into the freezer for a few moments and then bring it back out. That way none of the dough sticks to your counter top or cutting board, either!

To make the royal icing: Put sifted powdered sugar and cream of tartar into the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. (I found you can also do this in a large bowl with a stainless steel whisk). Start the mixer running and begin streaming in one egg white at a time, mixing until the mixture comes together and resembles the consistency of toothpaste. I find that's about the equivalent of 2 egg whites. Add a third egg white if you're going for looser, runnier icing. If icing is too thick, as a tiny bit more egg white -- a little bit goes a LONG way -- until the proper consistency is achieved. If the icing is too thin, add a little more sifted powdered sugar until you get the consistency you're after. Store the icing in an airtight container, with a damp paper towel pressed to the surface of the icing. Wrap in plastic wrap twice. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Keeps about 3-4 days.

Okay, now for the fun stuff! When I first thought to decorate the cookies in an argyle pattern, I knew I needed three shades of royal icing: sky blue and royal blue for the outlines and the argyle fillers, and white for the top decoration layer. Then came the issue of creating an argyle template for myself, because just like geometry in high school argyle can be tough to execute consistently; especially on 30 cookies. So I immediately made a template using a piece of wax paper and a ruler, creating a transparent argyle template that I could use as a guideline when piping each cookie. I then put each cookie on the template and made sure the lines matched up. Check out the template below:

Using a tiny bit of concentrated gel food coloring, I made three colors of royal icing: white, sky blue and royal blue

My wax paper argyle template - look carefully and you can see my pencil work

See how the icing lines on the cookie match the lines on the template?

After baking the dough I noticed that the cookies had changed their shape a bit, so I used a sharp knife to carefully cut off excess dough and shape the cookies into perfect rectangles. I then transferred the cookies to a cooling rack. When they were completely cool, I start piping. First, an outline on each cookie, followed by the argyle details. I let them both dry completely so when I flooded in the colors they wouldn't bleed into each other.

Royal blue outline first...

... then the argyle pattern.

Once the royal icing was dry, I flooded one section of argyle with a thinner version of the royal blue icing.

Then I followed by flooding the remaining diamonds with the sky blue icing.

Once the royal and sky blue icings had dried completely, I used a stiff white royal icing to pipe the decorative top lines. I think they look pretty good!

Then I delicately took the fondant "E's" and glued it onto each cookie with royal icing.

The finished product! Only 29 more to go...

Once You Go Packet, You'll Never Go Back: Grilled Salmon Packets

The other night I was at a dinner party when the conversation turned to grilling. My friend's husband said he was sick of the same-old, same-old grilled meals: steak, chicken, fish, etc. Instead, he said, he wanted some new ideas to mix it up a bit. I immediately thought of one of my favorite grilled meals and asked him, "Have you ever tried grilled salmon packets?" He looked at me with curiosity so I went on to explain that whenever Bryan and I want a quick, nutritious meal with practically no clean-up, we grab some tin foil, fill it with whatever's around – chopped onion, garlic, spinach leaves, sliced lemon, for example – lay a fresh piece of salmon on top and then seal up the packet. We throw it on the grill for 12 minutes, let the fish steam in its own juice and dinner is r-e-a-d-y, ready.

It couldn't be more simple or delicious; best of all, you throw out the tin foil and the clean up work is done. Of course, you can make it with whatever you want; halibut, salmon, tilapia and chicken work really well, just remember the cooking times are different for each piece of protein. Here's my go-to recipe for our salmon packets. This one's for you, Eric.

Grilled Salmon Packets

Makes four packets

• Four 20" pieces of tin foil (feel free to double the layers if you're worried about leaks)
• 4 uncooked salmon filets (size is up to you; ours are typically 3" x 5" per serving)
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly-sliced in rounds
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 lemon wedges, for garnish

Place on piece of salmon skin-side down on a piece of foil. Top with a single layer of lemon slices. Repeat with layers of sliced onion and sliced garlic. Drizzle with one teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bring lengthwise sides of the foil together and crimp closed. Repeat with the edges, rolling the foil in on each end to seal the packet. Place on the grill for 8-10 minutes for medium rare, 12 minutes for medium and 14 minutes for well-done. You do not need to flip the packets; they will steam on the grill. Remove packets from the grill and let rest for 2-3 minutes. Open the foil packets, being careful as steam will escape. Use a spatula to transfer the salmon from the packets to the plate. Serve with a side salad or goat-cheese and spinach-stuffed mushroom cups (recipe coming soon).

Step #1: Place salmon filet on tin foil

Step #2: Top with a layer of lemon slices

Step #3: Repeat with layers of sliced onions and garlic

Step #4: Seal each packets by crimping middle and edge foil seams together

Step #5: Put on grill and cook for up to 12 minutes. Remove and let rest before opening packet.

Step #6: Use spatula to transfer to plate, perhaps on a bed of steamed spinach. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!