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Community Corner

Great Escape: 4th of July Dessert

Make your celebration a breeze with this easy and colorful dessert.

Each week, we’ll tell you about one great idea to give you a much deserved break or make your life a little easier—maybe a whole lot easier.

I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for a themed dessert. So, when holiday weekends like our upcoming Fourth of July are on their way, and I know we will be invited to at least one if not more cookouts and picnics, I pull out my handy notebook of easy dessert ideas. You see, I don’t have a lot of patience (or, frankly, skill) in the kitchen, and a charming dessert is an easy way to fulfill my potluck duties and still have time to enjoy the festivities.

One of my favorites is full of fresh ingredients, easy to whip up, and has that visual appeal that shouts "Happy Fourth of July!" A dear friend shared the recipe with me, so in my family this dessert is called “Bev’s Red, White and Blue Trifle.”

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Ingredients

  • 2  packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups non-fat, heavy whipping cream, whipped
  • 2 quarts strawberries, cut in half
  • 2 quarts blueberries

Directions

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  1. Reserve 20 strawberry halves and 1/2 cup blueberries for flag design on top
  2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and extract until fluffy.
  3. Fold in whipped cream
  4. Place one-third of the cream mixture in the bottom of a 4-quart glass bowl
  5. Layer on half of the strawberries and blueberries
  6. Top with another third of the cream mixture
  7. Cover with the remaining berries
  8. Spread the remaining third of the cream mixture on top of the berries
  9. Use the reserved strawberries and blueberries to make a "flag" design on the very top
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