STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE + AN EASY CHERRY PIE RECIPE

I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the Fourth of July shoot I shared earlier this week! I was so floored by your feedback and can’t wait to produce similar stories for Design Darling as I meet more talented collaborators in my new city. As most of you know, I can’t cook to save my life so this shoot was really more about sharing entertaining ideas and providing inspiration for dishes you could bring to a party (from the looks of Pinterest, the watermelon stars have been quite the hit!). I also wanted to share the super simple recipes we used to make the strawberry champagne and cherry hand pies in case you want to whip up something similar for your own Fourth of July festivities!

Strawberry champagne

{we used this recipe, quantities below serve four}

1. Put 1/2 cup of strawberries in a blender, leaving out a few for garnishes.

2. Add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

3. Pour mixture into four champagne flutes and top off with 2-3 ounces of ice cold champagne.

4. Present to guests on a chic serving tray!

Easy cherry hand pies (makes 6)

You’ll need:

1 container, Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust

Mini pie pan

Small bowl

2 cans, Lucky Leaf cherry pie filling

Butter

Cinnamon

1 egg

Sugar

1. Let refrigerated pie crust come to room temperature.

2. Place pie crust in bowl and trim the edges to make individual-sized pies 1″ larger than the openings of the mini pie pan, placing the scraps aside.

3. Spray pie pan with Pam and mold pie crusts to each opening, piercing the bottom of each crust with a fork.

4. Fill each crust with cherry pie filling.

5. Roll out your scraps and cut strips of pie crust with a knife or pizza cutter.

6. Dot scraps with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon before placing them in a woven pattern on top of each pie and pinching the edges.

7. Make an egg wash with one egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush the pie crust with the egg wash and sprinkle sugar on top.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown.

*Finished photos by Kelly Christine. See the entire shoot here!