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Last week for the 4^th of July, I was trying to think of a spectacular dessert to make.  My Grandma’s blackberry pie was what I really wanted to bake.  Fortunately, though, I realized that tempting a really new recipe, and a pie, at that, was probably not the best plan.  Okay, my hubby kindly reminded me, of which I was very appreciative.

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Saved by the Voice of Reason, Once Again

Consequently, I decided to create a much easier dessert, a spin-off of another favorite of mine, Death by Chocolate.  Although some might think chocolate is not a summer holiday treat, I beg to differ.  Is there ever a bad time for Chocolate? Heck no! Suffice to say my first thought was to have a dessert with strawberries.  I mean, Strawberry Shortcake is like the grand dame of summer desserts.

Stars, Stripes and Pride

With that in mind, I was striving for something that really sang to my American Pride.  Namely, something, I don’t know, Red, White, and Blue to be exact.  That’s where this dessert really shines.  I mean, it is the celebration of the birth of our nation, so very long ago.  So, Happy Birthday, United States!  We are very fortunate for all the sacrifices made by those brave men and women who came before us and built this great country of ours!

An Interesting Find

When I was in the bakery department of my local grocery store, I found ladyfingers.  These are really soft cookies, about the length and width of a lady’s finger, hence the name.  Although I have never really used, seen, or actually eaten these (except hidden in a delightful tiramisu) I decided they might just be perfect in this dessert.

Fireworks in the Air

To get back on topic, I knew I wanted strawberries, whipped cream and ladyfingers, thus I decided the blueberries would be perfect to round off this delectable dessert!  Boy, was I in for a surprise.  While the dish was light and creamy, the strawberries soft and tender, the blueberries provided a burst of flavor when you bit into them. The pop was a lovely contrast to the rest of the dish, and surprisingly my favorite part!

Layered Summer Dessert

So Many Flavor Combinations to Try

This Layered Summer Dessert can be made using several different types of fruits and flavors. Have fun, use your imagination and experiment!  I’m so glad I did. Not only did it come out perfectly, there was hardly any left at the end of the day.  So, without further ado, I give you the Layered Summer Dessert!

Enjoy,

Sherri

Layered Summer Dessert

Looking for a versatile, easy, deliciously light dessert to serve at your next barbecue? Well, look no further, my Layered Summer Dessert fills that need.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 box Vanilla Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix 5.4 oz box
• 2 cups Milk cold
• 1 pkg lady fingers, shortcake or angel food cake (27 oz ladyfingers); see notes
• 2 pints Strawberries quartered, retain 3 whole strawberries for decoration 2 pints of Blueberries
• 1 tub Cool Whip 16 oz, thawed

Instructions

 

• Quarter strawberries and rinse blueberries.
• Tear lady fingers or cake into chunks. 
• Mix pudding according to package directions. It will be soft set very quickly.
• Using a clear glass bowl, layer the items in the following order: 

  a. Lady Fingers/Cake Pieces

  b. Vanilla Pudding
  

  c. Strawberries
  

  d. Whipped Cream
  

  e. Blueberries
  

  f. REPEAT
  
• Once the bowl is filled to the top, cover with whipped cream and top with the three whole strawberries and blueberries. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Notes

I typically use the angel food cake or cups, however, when I made this recipe for the 4th of July, I found ladyfingers. Since these were so soft I figured I would try them, and they were amazingly yummy. Also, the blueberries added a nice pop to the dessert.

Keyword Dessert