Patriotic French Toast

French toast with a cream cheese topping and fresh fruit! With its red, white and bluse colours... its perfect for Memorial Day or the 4th of July. Thank you All Recipes

1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
8 thick slices bread

• Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Combine the thawed strawberries with their juice and the blueberries in a bowl; set aside. 
• Beat together the softened cream cheese and confectioner's sugar until smooth; set aside. 
• Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
• Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet or griddle. 
• Dip bread into egg mixture, coating thoroughly. 
• Cook until well-browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. 
• Place cooked slices on baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Spread the cream cheese mixture over each slice of french toast
• Top with 2 tablespoons of the fruit. 
• Serve immediately.

Coconut Berry Icebox Cake

This red, white, and blue make ahead no bake Coconut Berry Icebox Cake is the perfect summer time dessert for a Memorial Day or Fourth of July potluck. Thank you Self Proclaimed Foodie

14 ounces unsweetened coconut cream
½ cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon coconut rum
1 cup heavy whipping cream
9 ounces coconut cookies (or graham crackers)
1 pound blueberries (fresh )
1 pound strawberries (fresh, sliced very thin)

• To make cream filling, start by whipping coconut cream in bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
• Add confectioners sugar and mix on low until incorporated. 
• Add coconut rum and mix on low until combined. 
• Scrape sides, add heavy whipping cream, mix on low to incorporate and then increase speed to medium high for about a minute. 
• Scrape walls and base of bowl
• Continue mixing on medium high speed until nice peaks form, about 3-5 minutes.
• To make the cake, spread some cream on the base of the plate. 
• Arrange cookies so that their sides are touching but they do not over lap. 
• Cover cookies with a spoonful of cream, using the spatula to spread. 
• Top with a second layer of cookies, rotating their pattern to cover any gaps
• Follow with a layer of cream. 
• Thickness in between layers should be thick enough so that there is a creamy layer in between, but not so thick that your ingredients aren't level or they slide around.
• Cover with a single layer of fresh blueberries. 
• Top with cream, then top with two cookie/cream layers.
• Next, cover with a single layer of sliced strawberries. Top with cream, then top with two cookie/cream layers.
• Repeat until you run out of ingredients. I portioned everything so that my top and bottom layers would be the cookies surrounded by the cream.
• Garnish with additional berries on top.
• Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or up to several days before serving.

Wave The Flag Cupcakes

Perfect cupcakes for the Fourth of July or Memorial Day. Thank you The Blueberry Council

1 package (18- to 19-ounces) yellow cake mix
1⁄3 cup applesauce
3 egg whites
3 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 roll red-colored rolled fruit snack (from a 4.5-ounce box)

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix with applesauce, egg whites and 1-¼ cups water for 30 seconds on low speed, then 2 minutes on medium speed
• Spoon batter into 24 (2½-inch) aluminum or paper lined muffin cups
• Evenly divide 1 cup of blueberries onto tops of batter
• Do not stir
• Bake cupcakes following package directions
• Remove to a wire rack and cool completely
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth
• Spoon onto cooled cupcakes
• Spread to the edges
• Unroll fruit snack and, with a sharp knife, cut into strips 1⁄8-inch wide by 2-inch long
• On half of each cupcake, arrange strips, trimming each to fit
• Arrange remaining 2 cups blueberries on the frosting on other halves of the cupcakes, about 10 blueberries per cupcake