Stars Stripes Ice Cream Cones Food

BAKED ALASKA ICE CREAM CONES

Steps:

• For the ice cream cones: Fill the bottom of each cone with 1 teaspoon chocolate chips. Fill the cones to the top with chocolate ice cream, gently pressing to pack. Scatter 1 teaspoon diced strawberries over each and press lightly to adhere. Top each with a scoop of strawberry ice cream. Stand the cones in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish filled with raw rice and transfer to the freezer. Allow to freeze solid, at least 1 hour.
• For the meringue: Meanwhile, place the egg whites and 1/3 cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites form soft peaks.
• Combine the remaining sugar with 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring to 235 to 240 degrees F (softball stage), without stirring.
• Continue to beat the egg whites on medium-high speed and slowly drizzle in the hot syrup, aiming the syrup between the side of the bowl and the beaters. Continue to beat until both the bottom of the bowl and the mixture are cool, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture should be thick and glossy and hold firm peaks.) Beat in the salt and set aside.
• Remove the cones from the freezer. Working quickly, use a small offset spatula to swirl the meringue over each cone, covering the ice cream completely. Return to the rice-filled baking dish. Toast the meringue with a small kitchen torch and serve immediately.

TACO CONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put an oven rack in the lowest position with a 6-inch clearance above. Cut eight 6-inch squares of heavy-duty foil and eight 1-inch squares of heavy-duty foil. Using the larger foil squares, wrap each sugar cone, molding to the shape of the cone to cover completely and tucking in excess. Spray the outside of the foil generously with cooking spray and set aside.
• Add 1 teaspoon canola oil to a medium pan over medium-high heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and garlic and cook, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 2 minutes, then add the chili powder and 1 teaspoon salt and stir well to incorporate. Add the salsa and 1/3 cup of water and cook, breaking apart the meat and stirring, until the sauce is bubbly and the beef is browned, 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Brush both sides of each of the tortillas using the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Wrap a tortilla around a sugar cone and secure the seam with a toothpick. Trim the top of the tortilla with scissors to make an even edge. Put it on a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and cones.
• Bake for 5 minutes, then wrap the tip of each cone with the small foil squares to keep the tips from burning. Return to the oven until the cones are lightly browned and crisp and hold their shape, 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove the foil tips, and carefully remove the foil cone inserts and the toothpicks. Unwrap and reserve the sugar cones for another use. If the tortilla cones are still soft, return them, empty, to the oven, to cook until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Meanwhile reheat the meat filling and set it out along with the cheese, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, jalapenos, tomatoes, salsa, hot sauce and lime wedges for a taco bar. Serve the cones hot from the oven, allowing each eater to build his or her own taco.

STARS AND STRIPES CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the middle level. Butter and flour a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan.
• Beat the butter by machine with the sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in the extract. Mix the flour with the salt and baking soda and add it alternately to the batter with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down bowl and beater often during this stage of mixing.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake about 40 minutes, or until it is well risen and deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for a few minutes, then unmold and cool completely. Wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap for storage.
• For the whipped cream, combine all ingredients and whip on medium speed until stiff.
• To finish the cake, place the layer on a cardboard or platter and spread with the cream. Arrange the blueberries in the upper left corner of the cake, as on the starred field of a flag, then use the raspberries or strawberries to make the red stripes, leaving stripes of uncovered whipped cream between the stripes of berries. Chill cake until just before serving.

CUPCAKE-STUFFED ICE CREAM CONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stand the ice cream cones upright in the cups of two 12-cup muffin tins (or bake them in batches if you only have 1 tin).
• Whisk together the oil and eggs in a bowl. Add the cake mix, vanilla extract and 1 cup water and mix until no lumps remain. Divide the cake batter into 3 bowls. Tint each batter with a different color gel food coloring (pink, purple and green), adding as much as needed until the desired shade is reached.
• Fill the cones with the batter, alternating colors, until halfway full (they expand as they bake). Using a skewer in an up-and-down motion, marble the batter in each cone 2 to 3 times. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, microwave the pink, purple, blue and green melting candy wafers in 4 separate microwave-safe bowls (one color in each bowl) for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue heating for 5 to 10 seconds at a time, stirring, until completely melted and smooth.
• Pour the melted candy into mermaid tail silicone molds (2- to 3-inch tails), alternating colors. Place in the freezer for 6 to 8 minutes to set. Continue the process until you have enough mermaid tails.
• Spread the cooled cupcakes with the blue frosting. Press a mermaid tail into the center of each cupcake, about 1/4 inch into the frosting.

STARS-AND-STRIPES CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; line with parchment, then spray the parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside.
• Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in the cream of tartar and salt, then slowly beat in 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Increase the speed to high; beat until stiff shiny peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the meringue to a separate bowl.
• In the same mixer bowl (leave it dirty!), combine the egg yolks, vanilla and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Beat on high speed until light and doubled in volume, about 2 minutes. Beat in the water and canola oil.
• Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.
• Add the food coloring to the batter and beat on high speed until smooth and bright red, about 1 minute.
• Stir a dollop of the meringue into the batter using a rubber spatula. Add the remaining meringue and gently fold into the batter until no white streaks remain.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared baking sheet; spread evenly with an offset spatula. Tap the bottom of the pan firmly against the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately loosen the edges with a paring knife.
• Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, working quickly while the cake is still warm.
• Lay a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) over the cake. Place another baking sheet on top of the towel.
• Invert the cake onto the towel. Remove the pan and peel off the parchment.
• Starting at a short end, roll up the cake and towel together into a log. Keep the cake rolled up until it has cooled completely.
• Unroll the cake (it's OK if the end is still curled up). Cut the cake into 3 long strips, each about 4 inches wide. Use a ruler to make sure they're even.
• Spread an even layer of frosting on each strip of cake (use a little less than one-third of the frosting). Make sure to get frosting under the curled end.
• Make the frosting: In a clean mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla and heavy cream. Slowly increase the speed to high and beat until smooth.
• Roll up one of the strips into a tight spiral.
• Move the spiral over to the next strip so that the ends meet and roll up into a fatter spiral. Continue with the third strip to make a large spiral.
• Turn the cake flat-side down and place on a cardboard round or platter. Gently squeeze the spiral together to make sure it's compact.
• Cover the cake completely with a thin layer of frosting, using the frosting to cover the seam of the spiral. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Return the cake (without the cardboard round) to your workspace and cover completely with the remaining frosting using an offset spatula.
• Place a star-shaped cookie cutter on top of the cake. Sprinkle some blue sanding sugar inside the cutter (use a small brush to help distribute the sugar), then carefully lift the cutter. Repeat to make more stars in different sizes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• When you slice into the spiral, you see vertical stripes!