Heavenly Filled Strawberries

Photo from Taste of Home

 Yes, I know.  Mid-to-late August is not really strawberry season.  But strawberries were on sale for $1.77 a box at our local supermarket this past week, so a strawberry dessert was indicated for Sunday's church potluck.  (Some of us joke that you can always tell what's on sale that week by what we bring to the potluck!)

Browsing a back issue of Country Woman magazine, I had come across this recipe for Heavenly Filled Strawberries.  So when I saw strawberries in the sale flyer for $1.77, I knew what I would make with them.  The berries have crosswise slits cut in the tips and are then filled with a simple cream cheese mixture -- I used 8 ounces cream cheese [the recipe calls for 11 ounces], a half cup of powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.  I would have liked to pipe the mixture into the berries but didn't have an icing bag.  I did the trick of putting the filling into a zip-top plastic bag and cutting off a corner, and filling the strawberries that way.  Also, I substituted chocolate sprinkles for the grated chocolate.  It looked very bit as nice and was easier and cheaper. 

These looked very impressive arranged on a square plate and they went over very well at the potluck dessert table.  If you happen to find a good price on strawberries and need a dessert for a summer event, I highly recommend these!