Kid Friendly 4th of July Treats

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Here’s a few ideas to combine food & fun – always a great combination for any summer time treat.  Whether you are having a family picnic, a neighborhood block party, or maybe off to a community Fireworks around the 4th of July, here’s a couple of Kid Friendly 4th of July Treats ideas which aren’t just kid friendly to eat but also to make.

Dipping almost anything in chocolate and sugar just says it’s time to party.

 

Just a few simple supplies which can be picked up at most grocery or craft stores will add to the festive look of your table. 

Making These Kid Friendly 4th of July Treats

 

Red, White & Blue Cherries

What you need:

• Maraschino cherries with stems
• White candy coating (I prefer Wilton Candy Melts)
• Blue sugar (Wilton) or sprinkles

Carefully pour the cherries into a strainer and let them set for at least a half hour to drain well. 

 

After this time, place onto a paper towel to finish drying.  You may even have to put these on paper towels a couple of times.  Being dry is key to the chocolate coating sticking.  Moisture and chocolate doesn’t mix.

 

As with any project with kids, safety is always first.  The melting of this chocolate needs to be supervised especially close.  

I like to use Wilton Candy Melts as they have a smoother finish than some other brands.  My preferred way of melting is over a pot of simmering water.  There are instructions on the bag if you prefer the microwave method.  

Place the wafers in a heat proof bowl and place over the simmering water, stirring until all is melted and smooth.  Take special care to not let any water get in your chocolate as it can cause your chocolate to start hardening or cause a streak color. 

 

Carefully remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the pot and stir well.  

 

You are ready to begin dipping your cherries.  Since I was using the chocolate for a couple of projects, I didn’t want to risk any “red” from the cherries getting into the whole bowl, so I transferred a small amount into a ramekin.

 

I’m not sure if it was the red color or the size of the cherries, I wasn’t getting good coverage so I did a double dip.  

Dip the cherry by the stem into the chocolate to get desired coverage.  I wanted just a little of the red to show.  

Shake off excess and set onto parchment paper to harden.  

 

To speed this process up, I transferred them onto a small plate and placed in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.  During this time, the pot of chocolate was placed back over the water to keep it warm.

 

Again, remove your bowl of chocolate from the pot of water and stir. 

Dip the cherry back into the melted chocolate then immediately roll into the blue sugar, about half way up.

Place on parchment paper to dry.

 

NOTE:  With this being a sweet, moist fruit item, these need to be made the day of your event.  By the second day, they could be oozing some liquid and not as pretty, but still edible.

 

Red, White & Blue Strawberries

This is pretty much like doing the cherries above, except I only did one coat of chocolate.

Leaving the leaves on makes a little handle for dipping.  And again, for best results, make these the day of.

What you need:

• Fresh strawberries – with stems if you can find them
• White candy coating (I prefer Wilton Candy Melts)
• Blue sugar (Wilton)

As with any project with kids, safety is always first.  The melting of this chocolate needs to be supervised especially close.  

I like to use Wilton Candy Melts as they have a smoother finish than some other brands.  My preferred way of melting is over a pot of simmering water.  There are instructions on the bag if you prefer the microwave method.  

Place the wafers in a heat proof bowl and place over the simmering water, stirring until all is melted and smooth.  Take special care to not let any water get in your chocolate as it can cause your chocolate to start hardening or cause a streak color.

 

Carefully remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the pot and stir well.  

You are ready to begin dipping your strawberries.

Dip the strawberry into the melted chocolate to cover about 3/4 of the berry.  

 

Then immediately roll into the blue sugar, about half way up the white chocolate.

 

Place on parchment paper to dry.  Doesn’t the combination of strawberries and cherries look festive?

 

With this being a sweet, moist fruit item, these need to be made the day of your event.  By the second day, they could be oozing some liquid and not as pretty, but still edible.

Both of these can be used in many ways

• Arrange on a tray to serve just as is
• Use as garnish on fruit & cheese trays
• Serve on ice cream
• Serve with your favorite chocolate cake
• Consider other color combinations to match your event, such as a baby shower, birthday party, or other holiday gatherings.

Need more ideas:

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES AND CONES

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE DIPPED OREOS

 

HINT:  A hint for decorating – always look for red items throughout the year and after holiday sales.  They are great for so many holidays like 4th of July, Memorial Day, Valentines Day, and of course, Christmas.

 

 

 

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