July 2021 Better Homes & Gardens Recipes

Fresh Corn Salad with Stone Fruit and Herbs

Corn is at its most flavorful when it's freshly picked. When you can get your hands on barely-off-the-stalk corn, shave raw kernels right off the cob. In this interpretation of fattoush—a Lebanese salad with veggies and toasted flatbread—corn brings sweet crunch to ripe nectarines, herbs, and a bright vinaigrette.

Corn Crostata with Tomatillos and Queso Fresco

Crostatas are an Italian answer to pie: free-form tarts that are superb at showing off seasonal produce. They go sweet or savory, like this version with tomatoes, tomatillos, and sautéed corn. Cornmeal in the crust accentuates the earthy sweetness of the corn in the filling while contrasting nicely with the acidic tomatillos and tangy cheese.

Summer Risotto with Corn Butter and Shrimp

Every part of the corncob goes into this velvety risotto to reduce your food waste: Boil the cobs with shrimp shells for a stock to cook the rice in, reduce the corn juices to a concentrated "butter" to fold into the finished risotto, and sprinkle the raw kernels on top.

Buy It: Our Table Dutch Oven ($60, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Butter-Braised Corn on the Cob

Sometimes called butter-bath corn or milk-boiled corn, this genius cooking method of boiling corn in a mixture of milk, butter, and aromatics hails from the Midwest and delivers corn with big flavor and tender kernels. We added a kick of jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, and garlic to the milk-and-butter bath. Spoon the liquid over cobs to serve.

Sweet Corn Panna Cotta with Cherry-Vanilla Compote

Corn's innate sweetness makes it a natural choice for desserts, and this panna cotta tastes like honey-drizzled corn bread in pudding form. Top with a balsamic-cherry compote and crunchy caramel corn for a summer dessert unlike any you've tasted.

Buy It: Sur la Table 7-Ounce Ramekin ($5, Sur la Table)

Smoky Grilled Corn, Poblano, and Cheese Dip

Think of this recipe as pimento cheese's Southwestern cousin. Grill corn and poblanos to give them a smoky char, then fold them together with mayo, green onion, pickled jalapeños, and two types of shredded cheese. Serve cold or warm with veggies, crackers, and/or corn chips.

Buy It: Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill ($139, The Home Depot)

Flag Sheet-Pan Nachos

A savory take on the ubiquitous flag cake recipe, these nachos are baked on a sheet pan to feed a crowd. A layer of refried beans creates a sticky surface for white and blue corn tortilla chips striped with cheese and a blend of roasted tomatoes and bell pepper. Finish the flag with a few piped stars (or dollops) of sour cream.

Stars and Stripes Ice Cubes

Dress up any punch bowl recipes with flavored ice cubes. For the striped cubes, we layered pureed raspberries, canned coconut milk, and pureed blackberries in an oversize square ice cube tray. To make the saturated red star cubes, use a food processor to blitz freeze-dried raspberries to a powder, mix into water, and freeze in silicone star trays.

Buy It: Celebrate It Stars Silicone Ice Cube Tray ($5, Michaels)

Red, White, and Blue Mini Cupcakes

For marbled cupcakes, set aside some of the batter, tint it with food coloring, and pipe over plain batter divided into paper bake cups. Swirl the batters together with a toothpick. We grouped the cakes in a star shape then frosted them en masse with a piping bag for pull-apart cakes that serve as the centerpiece.

Rainbow Pops

The only downside to these 100% fruit pops is how fast they disappear from the freezer. Puree fresh kiwi, raspberries, peaches, and blackberries; layer in molds; and freeze. The fancy-looking frozen dessert is truly that simple.

Test Kitchen Tip: For well-defined layers put each pureed fruit in a plastic sandwich bag, cut off a corner, and squeeze into the molds.

Affogato Pops

1980s Jell-O Pudding Pops meet trendy affogato (the Italian espresso and ice cream dessert). The result: a sophisticated iced coffee on a stick.

Test Kitchen Tip: Chill both flavored custards—the espresso and the vanilla cream—then pour them into the molds side by side for maximum swirls.

Chile-Mango Pops

What's cooler than being cool? Ice cold and hot. Ground ancho pepper adds smoky heat to mango (one of our favorite fruits for freezer pops). Lime juice adds a hint of tartness. For the pops to look like this, we used silicone molds and wooden craft sticks, but 3-ounce paper cups work just as well. Cover the cups with foil to hold the sticks in place.

Chocolate-Toffee and Strawberry Shortbread Squares

These ice cream squares on a stick are a cinch to make (no molds needed). Spread softened ice cream (vanilla or strawberry) into an 8-inch square baking pan, freeze, cut into squares, insert a stick, dip in melted chocolate or white baking chips, and sprinkle on toppings. For Heath bar-lovers, top with almond toffee bits. For strawberry shortcake fans, use crushed shortbread and sprinkles.

Berry-Yogurt Rocket Pops

Berries and Greek yogurt team up in these striped parfait treats—a creamy twist on the beloved Bomb Pop. Layer a homemade raspberry or blueberry jam with vanilla Greek yogurt for a tangy, not-too-sweet dessert that's perfectly acceptable for breakfast too. Freeze in star pop molds for this look.

Buy It: Tovolo Star Pop Molds ($13, Amazon)

Strawberry Coffee Cake with Cornmeal Streusel

"When I was growing up, Aunt Tilly's Apple Cake made a regular appearance at most special occasions, from birthdays to bat mitzvahs to housewarmings," says food writer Claire Saffitz. "Although Aunt Tilly's original recipe is delicious, as a baker myself, I couldn't resist making some changes and updating the recipe for summertime, swapping in brightly flavored strawberries for the apples and including cornmeal in the streusel topping for crunch. I can't be certain, but I imagine Aunt Tilly would approve."