Callye, of The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, inspired my own starry dessert. You see, she’s hosting a star-shaped extravaganza of ideas from bloggers around the web for the 4th. Want to see the brilliance that is out there?  Scroll to the end of this post to visit all of these stars above.  This is what I made. You can groan if you like at my naming these “starberry shortcake pops“, but “star-shaped strawberry shortcake on a stick” was just too long, don’t you agree?

Callye left the star-theme wide open. We could do anything star-shaped, aslong as we used a star cutter. So I had to do something besides cookies, because as usual, my first thought was cookies. One of my favorite desserts growing up was my mom’s strawberry shortcake. And because I’m a firm believer that anything can be put on a stick, that’s where this shortcake had to go. While moving things vertically means these are heavier on the shortcake part than the strawberries, I wouldn’t stop you from grabbing a spoonful of fruit with each bite. Served with whipped cream for dipping, no forks or plates are necessary!

how to make STARberry shortcake pops

you will need:

2 1/3 cups Bisquick mix

4 tablespoons sugar, divided

4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

1/2 cup half and half or whole milk

3-inch star cookie cutter

lollipop sticks

4 or 5 strawberries, washed, hulled and thinly sliced

1 cup heavy cream

4th of July sprinkles (optional)

what to do:

1. prepare your shortcake stars.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the Bisquick, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter, melted, and the half and half in a bowl. Mix with a spoon until a dough forms, then turn out the dough on a surface sprinkled with Bisquick. Knead 8 to 10 times and form a ball. Roll the ball of dough about 3/8-inch thick. Cut out star shapes, insert lollipop sticks and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the remaining tablespoon of butter, melted, on the surface of the stars. Place one to two strawberry slices on each star, sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired, and place in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Yields 12 star pops.

2. prepare your whipped cream.

Before serving, whip the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Blend in a tablespoon of sugar. Spoon in a bowl and top with sprinkles (if desired), and serve with the shortcake stars for dipping. Or, spoon a dollop on each star, sprinkle with sprinkles, and serve.

AND NOW THE SUPER STARS!!

1. Strawberry Shortcake on a Stick, The Decorated Cookie
2. Patriotic Lace Cookies , My Little Bakery
3. Independence Day Parade Cookies, Jill FCS
4. Old Fashioned 4^th of July, Vicki’s Sweet Treats
5. Light up the Fourth Cookies, The Partiologist
6. Declaration of Independence Cookie, Vanilla Bean Baker
7. Badge of Liberty Cookies, Lila Loa
8. Red, White & Blue Star Cookie Towers, Bake at 350
9. 4th of July Firecracker Cookies, Klickitat Street
10. Star Cut-out Cookies, Glorious Treats
11. Cookie “Pledge”, Lizy B Bakes
12. Star-Shaped Krispie Treats, Cookies and Cups
13. Easy Star Cupcake Toppers, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
14. Rustic 4th of July Galletes, Haniela’s
15. Patriotic Cookie Wreath, Sweetopia
16. Patriotic River Rafter, Ali-Bee’s Bake Shop
17. Funny Fox Cookies, The Bearfoot Baker
18. Quilted Cookie Stars, Cookie Crazie
19. Gimme Your John Hancock Stars, Life’s a Batch
20. Patriotic Cookie Stir Sticks, The Cookie Artisan
21. Patriotic Floral Stars, SweetSugarBelle

Hosted by Sweet SugarBelle, find the roundup HERE.

How would YOU use a star-shaped cookie cutter??

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