Sweet treats and drinks to make and share this Fourth of July

Bite-sized mini cheesecakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1½ hours
Ingredients:

24 vanilla wafer cookies
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup fruit preserves
Whipped cream topping, store-bought or homemade
Desired fruit for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners. Place 1 vanilla wafer cookie in the bottom of each muffin well.

With an electric mixer on medium-high, or in the bowl of a stand mixer,  beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract for about 2 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Spoon evenly into muffin cups (about 2⁄3 full). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from muffin tin to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.

Just before serving, top each cheesecake with about 1 tsp. fruit preserves, a swirl of whipped cream, and desired fruit. Garnish with mint and sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar, if desired.

Makes 24 mini cheesecakes.

Patriotic Porch Sangria

Prep Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:

1 (750-ml) bottle dry white wine
1 cup white grape juice
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 (750-ml) bottle Champagne
3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced (pears would be delicious, too)

Stir together white wine, grape juice, blueberries and strawberries in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours so flavors can meld. (Note: the longer the mixture sits, the more red it will become.)

When ready to serve, stir in Champagne, apples and ice. Serve immediately.

TIP: Cut apple slices with a star-shaped cookie cutter (or you could freehand) and immediately add to sangria to prevent browning.

Makes 8 servings.

Sweet Peach Pound Cake

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. butter, divided
2¼ cups sugar, divided
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2½ cups fresh peaches, peeled and chopped

Grease a Bundt pan (or 10-in. tube pan) with 2 Tbsp. butter. Sprinkle pan with ¼ cup sugar. Cream remaining 1 cup butter, gradually adding remaining 2 cups sugar until well beaten. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine 2¾ cups flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until well blended. Dredge peaches with remaining ¼ cup flour. Fold peaches into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan before inverting onto a plate or cake stand.

Makes 8 servings.

Strawberry Peach Rosé Sangria

2 (750-ml) bottles rosé
1 batch Strawberry Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
1⁄3cup peach schnapps
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 to 3 white peaches, sliced
3 to 4 cups lemon lime soda (Sprite, 7Up, etc)
Strawberry Simple Syrup:
1 cup strawberries, diced small
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

For Strawberry Simple Syrup, in a medium saucepan, combine strawberries, sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain strawberries and let syrup cool.

For sangria, combine rosé, Strawberry Simple Syrup, peach schnapps, lemon juice and strawberries in a pitcher, and stir until well combined. Fill wine glasses or cocktail glasses with ice, and fill halfway with sangria. Top with lemon lime soda.

Makes 10-12 servings.