cream filled strawberries

                                                        Cream Filled Strawberries

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Cream Filled Strawberries Recipe:

15large freshstrawberries

1/3 cup (80 ml) cold mascarpone cheese (can substitute with regular cream cheese)

1/3 cup (80 ml) cold heavy whippingcream(35-40% butterfat content)

2-3 tablespoons granulated whitesugar, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon purevanillaextract

Cream Filled Strawberries: Choose fresh strawberries that will sit flat. If you find the strawberries are a little wobbly with the stems left on, cut the green stems off so the strawberries will stand upright when placed on your serving tray. Then, with a small sharp knife, cut an "X" into each strawberry, starting at the top of the strawberry and cutting down almost to the bottom of the strawberry. (The cut should be such that the strawberry will open up but not fall apart.) Gently, with your fingertips, spread each strawberry apart to make "petals".  Set aside while you make the cream filling. In a medium sized bowl, whip (with a wire whisk or an electric hand mixer) the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Spoon the cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip). Starting at the bottom of the strawberry, pipe the cream into each strawberry. If not serving immediately, cover, and place in the refrigerator until serving time.  Preparation time 15 minutes.

Strawberries filled with Cream is a unique and delicious way to enjoy fresh strawberries. I came across this recipe while browsing through Mary Berry's "Desserts and Confections" cookbook where she aptly describes how they look like little "flowers". They make a really nice weeknight dessert, and I also like to include them as a part of a buffet, where finger food is most welcome.  
This is such an easy dessert to make. Try to use strawberries that taste as good as they look. You also want strawberries that will sit flat so they don't wobble or tip over when they are filled with the cream. So, if necessary, cut off the green stems, or the bottom part of the strawberries, so they won't tip over. Of course, first wash the strawberries and then, using a sharp knife, cut an 'X' into each strawberry, starting at the top of the strawberry and cutting down almost to the bottom. (The cut should be such that the strawberry will open up but don't cut all the way to the bottom of the strawberry or it will completely fall apart.) Then gently, with your fingertips, spread each strawberry apart to make "petals". Nest, make your cream filling and pipe (I like to use a star tip) the cream into the center of each strawberry.

The cream filling is made with a mixture of mascarpone cheese and heavy whipping cream, with a little sugar and vanilla extract added for sweetness. Mascarpone,pronounced mas-kahr-POH-nay, is a soft unripened cheese that belongs to the cream cheese family. It is a thick, buttery-rich, sweet and velvety, ivory-colored cheese produced from cow's milk that has the texture of clotted or sour cream. It is usually sold in a plastic 8 ounce (227 gram) tub that can be found either in specialty food stores or in the deli section of some grocery stores.If you cannot find it, you can subsitute with an equal amount of regular cream cheese. Heavy (whipping) cream is a cream with a 35-40% butterfat content. Which means when whipped the cream will hold stiff peaks. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your personal taste. These cream filled strawberries are simply delicious and they can be assembled a few hours in advance of serving. Just cover and place in the refrigerator until serving time.