American Flag Cookie Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the shortbread: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and brown sugar. Cut the butter into pieces, and using 2 forks or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it's the consistency of wet sand. Press the dough firmly and evenly into a nonstick 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until the shortbread is pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the baking sheet on a wire rack. Once it has cooled, use a sharp knife to carefully cut around the edges then invert the shortbread onto a serving platter.
• For the toppings: Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and continue beating on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract then sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl and mix on low speed just until combined. (Overmixing will cause the frosting to be too runny.)
• Spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer on the shortbread. Arrange 6 of the blueberries in the top left corner in each of 5 rows to form the blue portion of the flag. Arrange the raspberries in about 6 horizontal rows across the cake, leaving about 1 inch between each row, to form the stripes. Place the white chocolate chips between the blueberries to form the stars.
• Using a sharp knife, slice and serve the cookie cake immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve the same day. To make the cake in advance, wrap the shortbread tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate the frosting for up to 2 days. Then assemble the cake shortly before serving so the berries don't release juices into the frosting.

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
• Pulse the shortbread cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Remove 1/4 cup of the ground strawberries to a separate bowl and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of the cookie crumbs for the topping. Add the rest of the cookie crumbs to the food processor along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the brown sugar and pulse to combine. With the processor running, drizzle in the butter and continue to process until the crumbs are coated and the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon the jam over the crust and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze while you make the ice cream.
• Whip the cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes. Decrease the speed to low. Add the sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the vanilla, then increase the speed to medium and beat until combined and the mixture has soft peaks.
• Pour the cream mixture over the jam and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Meanwhile, cut six strips of parchment paper that are each 3/4 inch wide by at least 13 inches long. Cut a 4-by-5-inch rectangle from parchment paper as well.
• Using the foil overhang, lift the cake out of the pan and place onto a cutting board with a long side facing you. Sprinkle the reserved shortbread crumbs to cover the ice cream layer completely in an even layer. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the confectioners' sugar over the shortbread crumbs in an even layer until the top is completely white.
• Place the 4-by-5-inch parchment rectangle on the top left-hand corner of the cake. Arrange the parchment strips in even intervals across the cake, starting 3/4 inch from the top and stopping 3/4 inch from the bottom. Using the fine-mesh sieve, dust the reserved ground strawberries in an even layer over top of the templates. Carefully remove all the parchment templates. Sprinkle the blue sprinkles over the blocked-off corner area in an even layer. Scatter the star candies on top of the blue sprinkles. Slice the cake into 12 equal pieces using a sharp knife to serve.