Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

You asked, and you shall receive! Many of you saw a photo of these delectables that I posted to Facebook and requested the recipe. I am embarrassed to share how easy they were-- but here you go:

During our family vacation at the beach in August, my Aunt Lynne introduced us to the refreshingly sweet wonder of the Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberry. She found the recipe on Pinterest and added it to her 1,803 pins. (That's a fact. She's a Master Pinner. Unlike most of us, however, she actually tries many of her pins. Remember this?)

The original source for the recipe is the lovely blog Sugar Derby. I adapted some of her directions (ever so slightly) and made these tasty treats for the Georgia v. Coastal Carolina tailgate.

Tools:

• Strawberry Stem Remover: This thing makes life so easy. (Again, thank you, Aunt Lynne!) However, you can use a knife if you want. I like my Chef'n Strawberry Huller. (Available at Williams-Sonoma for $7.95)



• Sandwich Size Ziploc Bag
  


• Electric Mixer
  
  

Ingredients:

Two cartons of fresh strawberries

8 oz. pkg of light cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 sleeve of graham crackers (optional)

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (optional)

1. Wash strawberries and remove stem and core with either the corer or a knife.
   


2. With the electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.



3. Scoop cream cheese mixture into the ziploc bag and seal-- making sure that all air is removed.



4. Use scissors to cut the bottom corner of the ziploc bag to create a piping bag. You will only need to cut a tiny opening.
   


5. Squeeze the cream cheese filling through the opening to fill each strawberry.

I stopped there, because I was transporting the strawberries on an hour car ride and wanted them to look their best upon arrival-- no smears, uneven distribution, etc. However, you can go on to the next steps if you wish:

1. Crush graham crackers in another ziploc bag. Dip the filled end of the each strawberry in the crushed graham crackers.



2. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth upon stirring. Use the spoon to drizzle chocolate over the finished strawberries.



3. Place in refridgerator until chocolate is hardened.
   

The final step is always the same-- serve and enjoy!

What's your favorite easy tailgate recipe?