Uncle Sam's Crispy Treat Cake

Uncle Sam's Crispy Treat Cake

8 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup butter, cubed

12 cups crisp rice cereal

2-1/2 cups shortening

3 cups confectioners' sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 jars (7 ounces each) marshmallow creme

Red and blue paste food coloring

In a Dutch oven, combine marshmallows and cubed butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in cereal. Press 4 cups into a greased 9-inch round pan. Form remaining mixture into a 5-inch diameter x 6-1/2-inch tall cylinder; place on waxed paper to cool.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat softened butter until fluffy; beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in marshmallow creme until light and fluffy.

Unmold cereal mixture from 9-inch pan and place on a cake plate. Place 3 cups frosting in a small bowl; beat in red food coloring until smooth. Frost top and sides of 9-inch cake with 1 cup red frosting.

Place 1 cup white frosting in a small bowl; beat in blue food coloring until smooth. Frost bottom 2-1/4-inches of the cylinder with blue frosting. Place cylinder on cake. Frost the rest of the cylinder with red frosting.

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert basketweave tip. Using white frosting, pipe stripes on side of hat. With a round tip, pipe trim.

Using a 1-1/2-inch star cookie cutter, press a row of stars onto hatband. Fill in stars with white frosting using a round tip.

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Watermelon Pops

Watermelon Pops

1 cup sugar, divided

1 package (3 ounces) lime flavor gelatin

2 cups boiling water, divided

Ice cubes

1 cup cold water, divided

1 package (3 ounces) strawberry flavor gelatin

3 tablespoons miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 cups thawed whipped topping

Mix 1/3 cup sugar and lime gelatin mix in medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to 1/2 cup cold water to measure 3/4 cup. Add to lime gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. Refrigerate 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, repeat previous step using strawberry gelatin mix and omitting the refrigeration step. Pour into 16 (3 ounce) paper cups. Freeze 20 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon chocolate chips into gelatin in each cup.

Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in whipped topping, spread over gelatin in cups.

Pour lime gelatin over cream cheese mixture. Insert wooden pop stick or plastic spoon into gelatin in center of each cup. Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Remove pops from cups just before serving by dipping cups in warm water for 15 seconds. Peel off cups. (Do not twist or pull on handle.)

Recipe and picture from KraftFoods.com

Firecracker Cupcakes

Firecracker Cupcakes

1-1/2 cups flake coconut, divided

4 drops each: blue and red food colorings

24 yellow cupcakes

2 cups thawed whipped topping

24 red string licorice pieces (4 inch)

Place 1/2 cup of the coconut in each of two separate resealable plastic bags; set remaining 1/2 cup coconut aside. Add blue food coloring to coconut in one bag and red food coloring to coconut in second bag. Seal bags; shake until coconut is evenly tinted.

Spread tops of cupcakes with whipped topping. Sprinkle with red, white (uncolored) and blue coconut as desired; press coconut gently into whipped topping to secure.

Insert licorice piece.

Recipe and picture from KraftFoods.com

Star Spangled Dessert

Star Spangled Dessert

Strawberries

Whipped cream cheese

Sugar (optional)

Blueberries

Clean and hull five strawberries, then add dollops of whipped cream cheese to the top of each one. Sprinkle sugar on the cream cheese (optional), then top each strawberry with a blueberry and arrange them as shown.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com

Edible Eagle

Edible Eagle

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

6 large marshmallows

Finely shredded coconut

Chocolate-covered oreo

6 cashews

Black decorators' gel

Melt 1/4 cup white chocolate chips according to the package directions.

For each bird, drop a large marshmallow into the melted chocolate, using a spatula to coat it well.

Remove the marshmallow from the chocolate and roll it in finely shredded coconut, leaving one end uncovered.

Immediately set the marshmallow, coconut free end down, atop a chocolate sandwich cookie.

Let the chocolate set a bit, then use a toothpick to make a hole in the side of the marshmallow and insert a cashew for a beak.

Finally, add black decorators' gel eyes.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com