01 Jul Summer Favorites with ClearPath

Summer Favorites with ClearPath Benefits

Happy Fourth of July!

In honor of Independence Day, this month’s Dish features some of ClearPath’s favorite summer recipes!

A Drink to Rock Your Holiday Weekend

Sit back and relax this Fourth of July with this slushy-like “Bomb Pop” inspired drink called The Rocket!

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely crushed ice (to slush consistency)
• 1/4 fluid ounce blue curacao liqueur
• 2 fluid ounces lemon-flavored vodka, divided
• 1/4 fluid ounce raspberry flavored liqueur (such as Raspberry Sour Puss®)

Directions

1. Place half the ice into a bowl; divide the other half of the ice between 2 bowls (1/4 cup of ice in each). Place blue curacao liqueur and 1/2 fluid ounce of lemon vodka into a bowl containing 1/4 cup of ice. Mix well. Place raspberry liqueur and 1/2 fluid ounce of lemon vodka into the other 1/4 cup of ice and mix well. Mix the remaining 1 fluid ounce of lemon vodka into the bowl containing 1/2 cup of ice.
2. Layer the blue curacao-flavored ice into the bottom of a glass. Place the lemon vodka-flavored ice over the blue layer; top with the raspberry-flavored ice.

This recipe was provided by All Recipes. If you’d like to visit the original source, please click here.

Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake

Upgrade the traditional Poke cake by replacing your fillings with fresh summer berries!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup (8 oz.) salted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups (about 12 3/4 oz.) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
• 1 teaspoon water, divided
• 6 ounces fresh blueberries
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from 1 orange), divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon), divided
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt, divided
• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries (from 1 3/4 cups whole strawberries)

Frosting:

• 1 (8-oz.) container mascarpone cheese
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) unsifted powdered sugar, divided
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of baking pan with parchment paper; coat paper with cooking spray. Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed until just blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer Cake in baking pan to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack; let cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Prepare the Fillings: Stir together 1/2 teaspoon each of the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; set aside. Stir together blueberries, 1/3 cup of the sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the orange juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium, stirring constantly. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch-water mixture; simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat; let cool 15 minutes. Process mixture using an immersion blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, transfer mixture to a blender, and blend until smooth.) Pour mixture into a bowl; cover and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, repeat the procedure with remaining cornstarch, water, sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, and salt, using chopped strawberries in place of the blueberries.
5. Assemble the Cake: Place Cake on a serving plate. Using a 1/4-inch-wide wooden dowel or the round handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes spaced 1 inch apart over the entire Cake surface, poking at least three-quarters of the way through the Cake, but not poking all the way to the bottom. Spoon blueberry and strawberry Fillings alternately in lengthwise rows over Cake surface, being sure to fill all holes. Chill, uncovered, 1 hour.
6. Prepare the Frosting: Beat mascarpone cheese, vanilla, and 1/4 cup powdered of the sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add heavy cream; beat on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute, 30 seconds. (Do not overbeat.)
7. Spread Frosting evenly around sides of chilled Cake. Dollop remaining Frosting onto the top of Cake, carefully spreading over top. Garnish with fresh blueberries and strawberries.

This recipe was provided by Southern Living. If you’d like to visit the original source, please click here.

A Twist on the Classic Bomb Pop

Bomb Pop or Firecracker,  whatever you called it as a child, it’s just not summertime without this classic treat! 

Ingredients

• 2 cups hulled and quartered fresh strawberries
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon), divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 medium limes), divided
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions

1. Process strawberries, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1 tablespoon each of the lemon and lime juices in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids. Pour about 3 tablespoons strawberry mixture into each of 8 (4-ounce) ice-pop molds. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Stir together yogurt, heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1 tablespoon each of the lemon and lime juices in a bowl. Remove molds from freezer; top each with about 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Process blueberries, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon each lemon and lime juices in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids. Remove molds from freezer; top each with about 3 tablespoons blueberry mixture.
4. Insert popsicle sticks into molds; freeze until solid, about 6 hours. Just before serving, run molds briefly under hot water to release popsicles.

This recipe was provided by Southern Living. If you’d like to visit the original source, please click here.