The 4^th of July is just around the corner and that means fun, frolicking, and most importantly FOOD. Most years I find myself making sweet treats for my niece Lucy, as her birthday falls on the 4th. We all like to gather in Fire Island to celebrate as we sing happy birthday and watch the fire works.

To say Lucy loves dessert is an understatement, so I always try my best to put a smile on her sweet little sugar addicted face and make her some incredible treats. No matter what you are making this July 4^th it should be easy, should make people smile and if it happens to also be red white and blue than even better. So here are some of my favorite July 4^th recipes that will make your weekend that much more sweet.

Red, White + Blue Sangria by Crista at Peace.Love.Quinoa

Let’s start this 4th of July with fizzy and refreshing white wine sangria's! In this recipe she finishes her sangria off with sparkling water; I think I'm going to skip that part and finish it with some bubbly champagne! The best part about sangria is you can use whatever wine, fruit and juice you like.

It’s a relief to know that every now and then a crazy idea of mine actually works out in the kitchen. You see, I have a tendency to experiment...

...as in, mess up perfectly good recipes (especially if I’m baking).

I get unshakeable ideas in my head that simply will not go away! And yes, sometimes they don’t quite work. But, there are other times when they just, well, WORK! This time--oh baby!--it just WORKED!

3 ingredients...TOTALLY RIDICULOUSLY GOOD! The joys of experimenting!

Cookie Dough Truffle

Ingredients:

One twelve-ounce box of Entenmann’s Original Recipe Chocolate Chips Cookies
4 ounces cream cheese
10-12 ounces milk chocolate

Directions:

Combine the cookies and cream cheese in a food processor, and process until the mixture forms one dough-like ball. Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the refrigerator/freezer and roll it into 1-inch balls, then place the balls back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 15 minutes.
Make a double boiler by filling a sauce pan with about an inch of water and allowing it to simmer; then place a glass or metal bowl on top of it. Place the chocolate in the bowl and stir until melted.
Remove a couple of balls from the refrigerator at a time, then drop them in the chocolate. Remove them with a fork, shake off the excess chocolate, and set them on wax paper or a Silpat.
Place the finished truffles in the refrigerator to set. Remove them when ready to eat, and enjoy!

Notes:

If the dough balls are falling apart when you dip them in the chocolate, let them chill for longer and then try again.
The more chocolate you shake off when scooping the balls out of the bowl of chocolate, the less of a puddle will form under the ball when it is hardening up.
If you don’t have wax paper or a Silpat, spray a baking sheet or tin foil with cooking spray and place the finished balls on it.
I like these right out of the fridge because the chocolate is harder and gives you more of a bite. However, they're good at room temperature, too--just softer.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking