Sure, you can find vanilla ice cream with blueberry and raspberry swirls and just scoop them into dishes. But with a recipe, the cook combines ingredients.

To make the easiest red, white and blue dessert, you need:

 
You can substitute blackberries or strawberries, but blueberries and raspberries are a better size. If your market is sold out of fresh berries, head to the frozen foods case.

The easiest red, white and blue dessert recipe. Photo courtesy Talenti Gelato.

If you don’t want to scoop and serve individual dishes, place the ice cream in a serving bowl.

 
That’s it!

RECIPE: EASY VERY BERRY TRIFLE

When you want to impress friends and family with a dessert that takes just minutes of prep, this is the one to prepare.

Fresh berries are layered with mounds of whipped cream and angel food cake for a dessert that is be prepared ahead of time. It was created by Amanda Rettke from IAMBaker.net for McCormick, who used McCormick extracts in the recipe.

The whipped cream—a special concoction of heavy cream, sour cream and orange extract—is a star. Once you taste it, you’ll want to use it on everything!

Prep time is 25 minutes.

Ingredients For 12 servings

Preparation

1. TOSS the berries, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla in large bowl. Set aside.

2. BEAT the cream, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and orange extract in large bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently stir in the sour cream.

3. LAYER 2 cups angel food cake cubes, and 1/2 each of the berry mixture and whipped cream mixture in 2-quart glass serving bowl. Repeat the layers.

4. COVER and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Garnish with additional berries, if desired.

If you’re asked to bring something to a July 4th shindig, here’s a recipe that couldn’t be easier, no cooking required!

In fact, the recipe is so easy that a tween or teen (or adult who “doesn’t cook”) can make it. It’s built in a springform pan instead of a traditional glass bowl.

The recipe is courtesy Taste Of Home and Kaia McShane of Munster, Indiana, who advises, “This luscious trifle tastes best if made the day before serving. Keep additional blueberries and raspberries on hand for decoration.”

If you’re going to make and serve it immediately, we prefer homemade whipped cream to the frozen topping.

Total prep time is 20 minutes plus chilling.

RECIPE: RED, WHITE & BLUEBERRY TRIFLE

Ingredients For 12 Servings

Preparation

1. WHISK together in a large bowl the condensed milk, 2% milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Fold in the sour cream.

2. TOSS the blueberries and raspberries with lemon juice in another bowl.

3. LAYER half of the cake cubes, half of the berry mixture and half of the pudding mixture in a greased 9-in. springform pan. Repeat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours before serving.

4. SERVE: Remove rim from the springform pan. Serve with whipped topping and, if desired, additional berries.

Find many more recipes at TasteOfHome.com.

Enjoy the summer’s fruit bounty straight, in fruit salads, yogurt, pies, ice cream, smoothies and … green salad.

Strawberries or watermelon salad plus greens and feta or goat cheese are time-honored additions to a green salad.

But you can create your own recipe. For a July 4th salad, how about a red, white and blue green salad with raspberries, blueberries and diced applies? Instead of the apples, use feta or goat cheese for the white component.

The salad in the photo, from Souplantation, combines:

 
You can use a conventional vinaigrette recipe or a berry vinaigrette, adding a tablespoon of puréed berries to the recipe.

In a tasty and fun collaboration, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi and the West Texas-style BBQ sauce purveyor, Daddy Sam’s, have collaborated on a limited-edition summer barbecue grilling sauce.

Called Woodbridge Wine ‘Cue Sauce, a 19-ounce jar is available for $6.99 on Amazon.com through September 30, 2015.

The Woodbridge Cabernet contributes dark fruit and herbaceous notes. Daddy Sam’s selected a blend of spices that complement the wine’s flavors in the sweet, smoky sauce.

While infused with wine, the Woodbridge Wine ‘Cue Sauce does not contain any residual alcohol and is appropriate for all ages. The all-natural sauce is made in small batches with molasses—no high fructose corn syrup.

Unless you’re committed to beer, drink a bottle of Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon with your barbecue, burgers or brats. The SRP is just $6.99 per 750mL bottle, $10.99 per 1.5L bottle.

But don’t dawdle: This sauce will be off the shelves on September 30th. You can buy lots, though; it has a two-year shelf life. Stocking stuffers, anyone?

Crunchy gingersnaps are descendants of Lebkuchen, soft spice cookies that were probably created by Medieval monks in Franconia, Germany (the earliest written records are from 1296). The history of whoopie pies, an American creation, is much more recent—1926!

The ginger snaps themselves are a cross between a cookie and a cake, sandwiched between an easy vanilla buttercream.

This recipe is from The Faux Martha via Go Bold With Butter. Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 40 minutes.

RECIPE: GINGERSNAP WHOOPIE PIES

Ingredients For 12 Cookie Sandwiches
 
For The Cookies

Make them for family and friends. Photo courtesy The Faux Martha.

For The Filling

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. WHISK together the flours, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. CREAM the butter and sugar in a large bowl until evenly combined, using a handheld or stand mixer. Add the molasses and blend until incorporated. Scrape down the the sides of the bowl and mix in the cream, egg and vanilla.

4. MIX the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. The dough will be dry but will still hold together. Using a one-tablespoon scoop, drop 24 cookies onto baking sheets, about an inch apart.

5. BAKE for 10 minutes. The cookies will still be soft but will firm up after cooling. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Meanwhile…

6. MAKE the filling. Using a stand or handheld mixer, whip the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and cream together until well incorporated. Add the cream and vanilla. Continue to beat until the filling light and fluffy.

7. SPREAD a generous amount of filling on the flat side of half of the cooled cookies. Top with the remaining cookies to create sandwiches. Serve or store in airtight container for up to 3 days.