Strawberries!

They’re finally in season.  After two years of downright tasteless strawberries, they’re really making up for it this year.  If you’re lucky enough to have found local strawberries at the farmer’s market or in your , one bite will tell you they need nothing at all.  

If you’re buying grocery store berries, they’ll probably be the bright red ones with the hollow centers.  That type of berry is absolutely perfect for this recipe; they look beautiful but don’t always have great flavor.  Look for the super-duper large ones.  

Here’s my absolute favorite way to serve those huge strawberries.  It’s a little fussy but an impressive finish to any meal, especially a cook out!    

Cheesecake-stuffed Chocolate Strawberries

1 dozen extra large strawberries
4 oz. cream cheese (full fat or low fat)
1.5 T Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
2 T white sugar

For the glaze:

¾ cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet are best)
3 T butter (not margarine)
1 T light corn syrup

Gently wash each strawberry individually, but leave the stem on.  Dry them carefully with a sturdy paper towel.  

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add the Grand Marnier and mix well.  

Spoon the cream cheese mixture into a small zip bag.  Squeeze out the air and seal.  Press the cream cheese towards the bottom corner of the bag.  Cut off a very small corner of the zip bag and set aside.

Cut off the bottom third of each berry.  Don’t be tempted to eat those tips, though – hang on to them!

If you’re using grocery store berries, you’ll see a hollow core in the middle of each berry, surrounded by white or pink flesh.  Take a small paring knife and hollow out that core, removing the white flesh but leaving the nice thick wall of red berry intact.

If you’re using local berries, there isn’t much of a hollow core, so you can cut out a core about a half inch deep and half inch in diameter.  

Take your zip bag and carefully squeeze the cream cheese mixture into the hollowed out strawberry.  Don’t over-fill the berry; add just enough to come to the top of the core.  

Place each tip back on its strawberry.  The cream cheese mixture will help “glue” the tip back on the berry.  Place the strawberries stem side down on a plate and put in freezer for half an hour.    

Meanwhile, in a small and narrow pan, on the lowest possible heat, melt together the chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup.  Stir until the mixture is smooth and remove from heat.  

Stick a narrow 4-6 inch wooden skewer into each berry, starting at stem end. Carefully dip each berry into the warm chocolate.  Place each berry back on the plate and place in the refrigerator.  They taste best when eaten within a few hours.  

You can leave the skewers in the berries for easy eating, or remove them for a prettier presentation.