Cooling down on the Fourth!

Today is a day all about red, white and blue!

The Fourth of July marks the day of paying homage to independence. One lasting symbol of that freedom is our flag. Did you know the American flag was designed by a woman?

Betsy Ross designed the flag in 1776. It’s rumored that Betsy impressed President George Washington with her ability to cut a five-point star with a single snip of her scissors! Can you do that? Us either…

The flag was actually adopted in 1777 with specific instructions that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” 

In honor of the flag, we’re featuring a culinary not to Old Glory from cookbook author and FamilyFun contributor Ken Haedrich.  This chilled treat is made by layering strawberry sorbet and vanilla and blueberry-flavored ice cream in a loaf pan, chilling each layer until it’s firm. Served with homemade blueberry sauce and fresh fruit, it’s a sweet, summery ending to any Independence Day meal.

To make the blueberry sauce, combine 1 pint of freshly rinsed blueberries and 1 tablespoon of water in a medium-size saucepan. Partially cover the pan; then bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering the berries until they begin to break down, about 2 minutes. Stir in a ½ cup of sugar and cook the berries until they become soft, about 1 to 2 minutes more.

Stir together 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl until evenly blended. Stir the mixture into the berries; then cook them at a low boil, stirring constantly, for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer it to a medium-size bowl. When the sauce is cooled, cover it and place it in the refrigerator to chill.

For the dessert, start by lining a 9- by 5-inch metal loaf pan with two sheets of crisscrossed plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides, then chill the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Place the 1 pint of strawberry sorbet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to soften, then spoon the sorbet into the pan and mold it, using a sheet of plastic wrap to smooth the top as needed. Cover it with foil and freeze it for 2 hours. The last 30 minutes, soften the 1 ½ quarts of vanilla ice cream in the refrigerator. Remove the pan from the freezer, add half the vanilla ice cream, mold it, cover it with foil, and freeze it and the remaining ice cream for 30 minutes. For the third layer, mix the remaining ice cream with 3/4 cup of the blueberry sauce, and add it to the pan. Freeze the dessert for one more hour.

Chill a platter in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Right before serving, thin the remaining blueberry sauce with a spoonful of water or orange juice. Invert the dessert onto the platter, unwrap it, and garnish it with fresh berries. Use a sharp knife to slice the dessert, and serve it with the sauce.

Once finished, share your patriotic treat with ones you love at a barbecue! It will be a tasty way to be patriotic and end a great meal.