Forth of July Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, using a pastry blender, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the butter and using the pastry blender, cut the butter into small, pea-sized pieces.

Put the pastry blender down. Add the buttermilk to the flour and butter mixture and using a large spoon, combine together into a rough dough.

Place the dough onto a floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a rectangle approximately ½- ¾ inch thickness.

Using a small, star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out at least 8-10 stars (there will be extra, use the best ones). Place the stars at least 1 inch apart on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Using a pizza cutter, cut out approximately 6 rectangular strips (10 inches long and approximately ½ inch wide).

Using a pizza cutter, cut out approximately 5 rectangular strips (5 inches long and approximately ½ inch wide).

Place strips on the parchment lined sheet pan with the stars, spacing approximately 1-2 inches apart.

Use the remainder of the dough as you wish to make biscuits. Place these biscuits on a separate parchment lined sheet pan.

Using a pastry brush, brush the rectangular pieces with the buttermilk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake the stars and rectangles for approximately 10-15 minutes or until nice and brown.

If the rectangular biscuits have spread too wide, use a pizza wheel or long sharp knife and cut them lengthwise to make them narrower.

Allow to cool.

Dust the rectangular pieces with confectioners’ sugar.

Using a clean pastry brush, coat the tops of half the stars with some honey. Place the red and blue sugars into 2 separate bowls.

Dip 4 of the honey coated stars, honey side down, into the sugars creating 2 of each color. After dipping, place each star back onto the sheet pan, sugar side up.

In a double boiler, a small amount of white chocolate. Using a pastry brush or an offset spatula, coat the top of 2 stars with white chocolate. Set them back on the sheet pan, chocolate side up, to dry.

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Blend well.

Spray a 13 x 9” rectangular baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (if your pan is a little bit smaller, that is fine).

Bake the filling for 40-45 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling. Stir the fruit 2-3 times during baking. If the fruit is not bubbling yet, raise the temperature of your oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Continue baking 5 to 10 minutes or until the fruit bubbles and is tender. Remove from oven.

Take 3 or 4 of the large rectangular biscuit pieces and lay them lengthwise at the bottom of the long side of the pan with the filling, spacing them approximately ¼ inch apart. Take 3 or 4 of the smaller rectangular pieces and place them above and to the right of the large rectangular pieces. This should form the stripes of the American flag.

Take 6 of the stars (2 of each color) and place them in the upper left-hand corner of the pan.

Scoop out the cobbler after presentation and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.