Last Minute Memorial Day Recipes: Kabobs and Cupcake Cones

Whether you are looking for the perfect picnic dip, firing up the grill for finger lickin’ ribs, or searching for a crowd-pleasing summer dessert, Silver Spring Patch will deliver the goods with help from the magazine Taste of Home.

The magazine publishes recipes from people who love to cook at home and they do it with easy-to-find ingredients.

First, we bring you the five-star rated Caprese Salad Kabobs.

This recipe was also developed by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen. It will take about 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 24 grape tomatoes
• 12 cherry-size fresh mozzarella cheese balls
• 24 fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

• On each of 12 wooden appetizer skewers, alternately thread two tomatoes, one cheese ball and two basil leaves; place on a serving plate. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar; drizzle over kabobs just before serving.
  
• Yield: 12 kabobs.

Next up, we bring you Patriotic Cupcake Cones.

This recipe was also developed by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen. It will take about 40 min. to prepare and 20 mins to bake including cooling time.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
• 3 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 24 ice cream cake cones (about 3 inches tall)
• FROSTING:
• 1-1/2 cups shortening
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 to 5 tablespoons milk
• Blue jimmies

Directions:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the food coloring, vinegar, butter flavoring and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into each cake cone to within 3/4 in. of the top. Place in ungreased muffin cups.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• In a large bowl, beat shortening and vanilla until fluffy; gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Add enough milk to achieve spreading consistency.
• Cut a small hole in the corner of plastic bag; insert a large star tip. Fill the bag with frosting. Pipe onto cupcakes. Sprinkle with jimmies. 
• Yield: 2 dozen.