So this started four days ago . . .
And the chairs go on and on, block after loooong suburban block . . .
I don’t quite understand the local phenomenon of staking out chair space a week before a parade that will take place in 100°F-weather, but I certainly give these Fourth of July zealots credit for marking their territory with such festive flair, LOL . . .
Seriously though, rather than closely guarding coveted parade-watching space, I'd much rather be sharing sweet moments with family and friends in the comfort of my air-conditioned home. And what better sweet things to share than beautifully decorated patriotic cookies?!
With that thought in mind, I leave you tonight with the top-trending Fourth of July cookies from this past week. May this hot list* bring you plenty of inspiration for treats to enjoy with your loved ones. There's still plenty of time to bake before the fireworks start sounding . . . just be sure to keep the A/C cranked and a cool, calm mood in the air. No fighting over front-row seats, please! 
#1: Fireworks on Stars by KellyMadeThat
#2: Stars by Sweet Prodigy
#3: Blue for You by Teri Pringle Wood
#4: United States of Flowers by Zeena [EDITOR'S NOTE: Made by the talented @Zeena for a previous Cookie Connection challenge, this cookie sings "America the Beautiful" to me! Because it so uniquely conveys the Independence Day spirit, I just had to choose it for this week's cover spot! ~JMU]
#5: 4th of July! by ThePinkMixingBowl [EDITOR'S NOTE: Special congrats to @ThePinkMixingBowl for her first appearance in a Spotlight and for the pristine icing on this set! ~JMU]
#6: Bald Eagle and Patriotic Star Cookies by The Royal Icing Queen [EDITOR'S NOTE: More first-time kudos to @The Royal Icing Queen. I love this brilliant and bold cookie display. ~JMU]
#7: Happy 4th! by The Cookie Monger
#8: Patriotic Hearts by Cookies on Cambridge [EDITOR'S NOTE: You should recognize these stunning cookies from this month's site banner and backdrop. Congrats again to @Cookies on Cambridge for being our July featured site artist. Please stay tuned for her in-depth Cookier Close-up interview, which should come later this month or early August at the latest. ~JMU]
#9: Summer Fun by katydoescookies [EDITOR'S NOTE: I believe @katydoescookies is a newcomer to our hot list as well. Well done, Katy! Such clean and crisp stenciling! ~JMU]
#10: Stars and Stripes and Doves of Peace by Melissa Joy Fanciful Cookies
Thanks to all of our honorees for their wonderfully patriotic contributions! And if I don't "see" the rest of you before next Tuesday, have a great Fourth of July (if you celebrate).
P.S. I wanted to point out that many of this week's featured cookies first posted several years ago, yet they are still trending quite high - hail to the power of a great decorated cookie! 
So that no one has an unfair advantage in making it onto a hot list, the algorithm is secret even to site administrators. Only our platform developers know the code, which has been exhaustively tested by those developers and Cookie Connection staff.
All photos shown here are the courtesy (and copyright) of the designers listed.
To check out our other hot lists, at any time of day, visit our Hot Spot, also found in the site's main navigation line.
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