Every 4th of July party needs a sweet grand finale. From a dazzling red, white and blueberry trifle to a boozy tres leches cake, these desserts will steal the show.
This dazzling, delicious trifle can be made in under 30 minutes -- just be sure to plan ahead as it needs to sit in the fridge at least 8 hours before serving. GET THE RECIPE
A rich, fudgy slab of flourless chocolate cake topped with a light, marshmallowy meringue: this cake is as impressive as it is delicious. If you're short on time, feel free to skip the meringue and serve the cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. No one will complain, I assure you. GET THE RECIPE
Part cookie, part brownie -- who doesn't love blondies? And the best part is that they're ridiculously easy to make: fewer ingredients than cookies (plus you don't have to roll the dough into balls) and easier than brownies because there's no chocolate to melt. GET THE RECIPE
If ever there was a cake for lemon lovers, this is it! Lemon zest and lemon juice are added to the batter, which lightly perfume the cake with lemon. Then, after the cake is baked, it's doused with lemon syrup and drizzled with a tart lemon glaze. GET THE RECIPE
This fruit salad is such a nice change of pace from the standard mix of pre-cut fruit from the supermarket. It's wonderful on its own but even better served with shortcake and whipped cream. GET THE RECIPE
One of the simplest but most impressive summer desserts I know, this icebox cake is entirely make-ahead and doesn't even require an oven. Simply layer store-bought chocolate wafers with peanut butter-flavored whipped cream, and then chill the dessert overnight. In the fridge, the cookies soften and meld with the cream, creating a dessert that resembles a fancy layered mousse cake. Can't beat that! GET THE RECIPE
With their crisp and buttery shortbread crust and luscious lemon topping, these bars are a fan favorite. And they're as pretty as they are delicious. GET THE RECIPE
Ice cream sandwiches: kids love them, adults love them, and they're so much fun to eat! These are semi-homemade with Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers and premium quality ice cream. GET THE RECIPE
You can have this simple, pretty and delicious cake mixed up and baking in the oven in under 15 minutes. What are you waiting for? GET THE RECIPE
Spiked with Baileys Irish Cream, these chocolate brownies with a swirl of tangy cheesecake are out-of-this-world. Try them warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And be sure to cut them small -- they're rich as sin. GET THE RECIPE
Tres Leches Cake is a light and fluffy cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. In this version, rum is added to the soaking liquid and -- instead of the traditional whipped cream topping -- a simple rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze covers the cake. My husband calls it "heaven on earth." GET THE RECIPE