Spark your decorated dessert sales

1. Use edible sugar sheets either from suppliers or you can print your own to make colorful and patriotic pinwheels, such as a star pattern. Cut the edible sheets into 3-in. by 3-in. squares, and from each corner, make straight cuts toward the center, but stop just shy of the actual center.

2. Place a dab of water in the center of the square, and fold one side of each cut corner into the center.

3. Roll out blue fondant, and use a star cutter to form a center for your pinwheel.

4. Dab water on the center of the folded pinwheel to secure the fondant star to it.

5. Ice cupcakes in a coil pattern using a large round tip, and place the pinwheel on top.

6. Tie ribbons around lollipop sticks and insert at the bottom of the pinwheels.

1. Capitalize on the popularity of cake pops, but make it simpler by using donut holes instead. Dip a lollipop stick in melted chocolate and insert into any flavor donut hole. Allow the chocolate to dry to help secure the donut on to the stick.

2. Dip the donut pops in melted white chocolate. If you choose to top with sprinkles, do so before the chocolate dries.

3. For others that will have piped decorations, set the sticks in a cake pop stand or Styrofoam and allow the chocolate to set. Use melted chocolate that has been colored red to pipe swirls around the donut hole with tip No. 3. Finish with a small blue sugar star.

4. Tie ribbons around the lollipop sticks and merchandise on the top of your bakery’s showcase. Using blueberries in a clear container makes a striking, patriotic display.

1. Chocolate-covered strawberries are a favorite any time of year, and you can use them as a decoration or sell them individually. Dip strawberries in melted white chocolate to coat.

2. Stripe melted red chocolate over the strawberries using tip No. 3.

3. Add a small dot of melted chocolate at the top of the strawberry and place a blue sugar star.

1. Another fun fruit idea is to combine strawberries and blueberries. Slice strawberries in half and core them using a strawberry corer, a small melon baller, a teaspoon or small knife. Use star tip No. 21 to pipe dollops of cream cheese icing in the hollowed centers.

2. Place blueberries on top of the icing.

3. Place the strawberries in packaging designed for deviled eggs for easy merchandising.

Ashley Vicos Like many girls of her generation, Ashley Vicos’ love of baking began at age 5 with an Easy-Bake Oven. That love has become her career as she now owns Atlanta-based Sweet Ashley’s, a commercially licensed cake studio, where she creates custom cakes and teaches cake decorating classes. Vicos stars in her own show–Have Cake, Will Travel–airing on the Food Network, and has competed in several televised decorating challenges.