The first time I saw these, my jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh! My mom would absolutely LOVE these!” I exclaimed. Who was around to hear me say this? My dogs. I’m sure they got just as excited as their Mama, even if they didn’t show it by laying on the couch like a couple of slugs. I called her and told her about them. I could hear, “Ohh…mmmm!” on the other end of the phone. She constantly tells me how she’s glad she doesn’t live next door whenever I make these desserts because she would get herself in trouble, but she may make an exception for these delicious little guys.
Well, she came into town this weekend, and I saw this as the perfect opportunity. Since we were planning to go over to my brother’s house to spend time with his family and watch some college football, I knew that my sister-in-law would be a perfect taste tester as well, since she loves strawberries…and cheesecake. As it turns out, my nephew is also a big fan of strawberries. When I told him what was in the fridge, he got all excited and asked if he could have one. Well, of course! He shoved the whole thing in his mouth, and started ranting over how delicious it was…and went back for a few more.
As I was cutting the tops of the strawberries off and creating a hole in the center, it was some trial and error. The first strawberry was sliced a little too much, and the side was very thin and floppy. As I continued through the rest of the strawberries, it became easier. When I cut one open to get a picture, I realized that I didn’t cut a hole deep enough… Oh well! Made a mental note for next time…because I can promise you that these will definitely be made again! Perfect combination of dessert and appetizer, all rolled into one!
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries Recipe:
1 lb. large strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already). Prep all of the strawberries and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, sprinkle or dip the tops with graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.
