Easy 4th of July Desserts

Hi guys!  Whew-it’s been a long week.  I am rarely this busy, but I was actually crazy busy this week.  That’s tough for a gal who is super lazy, like me.  I had a hard time fitting in any cooking, let alone 4^th of July desserts….but I did bust out a couple.  And because I was so busy this week, they are super duper easy.  Not like anything I make is hard or anything.  In fact, I usually stick to simple, family friendly stuff….but these two recipes are beyond easy.  I figure I am going to be just as busy next week, so I might as well keep it simple for the 4^th.

My first recipe kind of stems from some friends I had (still have!) when I was a kid.  There was a family that I use to spend time with that liked their apple pie with cheese on it.  I remember the first time their mom, Wanda, asked me if I wanted a piece of apple pie with cheddar cheese on it, and I thought she had lost her marbles!  I never tried it as a kid.  I have changed my tune since then.  I have discovered that I LOVE apples and cheddar together, so I decided to make mini apple cheddar pies.  Nothing says “America” like apple pie, right?  You can’t get more patriotic then apple pie, so this is perfect for the 4^th!

For this crazy, ridiculously easy recipe, I used pre-made pie dough, canned apple pie filling, sharp cheddar cheese and that egg up there is for an egg wash.

You could totally use your own apple pie filling recipe for this.  I, personally, don’t have a problem with canned apple pie filling.  Also, the sharp cheddar cheese is such a strong flavor…the apples are more of a background note.

If you are wondering why I didn’t use my Whiskey Apple spread for this…..I wanted bigger pieces of apple.  There you have it.

I unrolled my pie dough onto a floured board.  Then, I poked out a bunch of circles with a cookie cutter.  You can use whatever size you want.  You could even trace around a bowl.  I chose a cookie cutter that will make small, maybe two bite pies.

I put a bit of filling and a piece of cheese on one side of each circle.  You really don’t want to overfill these.  This is a case where less is more.  Normally I wouldn’t say that…because more is always more, but you don’t want these babies exploding.

You really don’t need a recipe here.  It is just filling and cheese.  Use your judgment to figure out how much to use.  I believe in you.

I sealed the pies together with a fork.  This also gives them a pretty edge.  I also cut a slit in the top of each pie.  This is a necessary step….trust me.  Otherwise, these things will explode in your oven.  I am still in a new, clean house.  I don’t need any exploding pies in my clean oven.  Mainly because I have no clue how to clean an oven.

My last step was to paint egg wash over the tops of each pie.  This was a beaten egg and a splash of water. 

I baked these at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.  You need to follow your pie dough’s directions.  If you are a superstar and you have made your own pie dough…..Wow.

These ended up so good!  They look like little smiles;)  They taste like a little bite of heaven.  Something about the sharpness of the cheese goes so well with sweet apples and buttery pie crust.  And these were so quick and easy to make!  You should totally make these for whatever kind of 4^th of July celebration you are having.  Seriously.

Mmmmmmm….pie.

Lastly, I wanted to quickly show you a really fun and easy idea that your kids would love for the 4^th.  Kids love ice cream, right?  And kids love candy, am I right?  I combined the two and made the cutest ice cream cones!  The best part is…..you can make the cones the day before, so all you have to do on the 4^th is scoop ice cream.

I melted white chocolate chips and dipped my cones in the melty deliciousness.  Then, I rolled each cone in pop rocks and sprinkles.

I topped each ice cream scoop with more candy.  It’s patriotic yumminess!

Addy and her purple stained hands thought it rocked.

And yes, she did sweep her hair to the side before I took the picture.  She is 7 going on 15.

Have a great weekend!!