by Joanne Smedley

Created on: May 20, 2008   Last Updated: June 06, 2008

The best Fourth of July desserts - in fact, the best desserts at any time of year, are those that are quick to prepare, but look stunning!

As host - you don't want to be tied to the kitchen during the festivities, so why not try one of these no-fail recipes which can either be made in advance or dished up quickly to look absolutely stunning in minutes.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the base:

8 oz crushed digestive biscuits.
4 oz margarine / butter

For the topping:

8 oz cream cheese, like mascarpone.
1/2 pint double cream
2 oz caster sugar
rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon.

To decorate:
1 punnet of strawberries - sliced.

Method:

Melt the margarine and mix with the crushed biscuits. Press this mixture into an 8" loose bottomed cake tin and set to one side.

Whip the double cream until stiff, then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Spread topping over base and leave to chill for at least one hour.

Carefully turn out the cheesecake onto a plate and decorate with sliced strawberries.

Merringue berry baskets.

Ingredients:

Merringue nests - Either make your own merringue nests, or buy them ready made from a shop. Home made taste better, but let's face it - most of us don't have the time!
1/2 pint double cream
3 tablespoons lemon curd
Mixed berries, such as strawberries (sliced), blueberries, raspberries.
springs of mint to decorate.

Method:

Whip the double cream with the lemon curd until stiff. genourously dollop a portion of cream on each merringue nest and then smother with berries so that you cannot see the cream. Top with a spring of mint.

Chocolate icecream sundae

Ingredients:

Readymade chocolate brownie
A selection of fun size chocolate bars (e.g. Mars.
Fudge or chocolate ice cream sauce.
Icecream
Squirty cream

To decorate:
Chocolate curls and indoor sparklers.

Method:

Break up the chocolate brownie into chunks and cube the funsize chocolate bars. Layer a sundae dish with icecream, brownie chunks, icecream sauce and cubes of the chocolate bars. Finish with squirty cream and sprinkle with chocolate curls. Top with sparklers for that "wow" factor.

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